MAC AIDS FUND

New York, NY (November 19, 2002) - On November 26, M·A·C Cosmetics President and chairman of the M·A·C AIDS Fund John Demsey, and M·A·C AIDS Fund spokesperson Mary Blige will present East Side Community High School in New York with the "Pandemic: Facing AIDS" education packet at the United Nations. The packet originates from the HBO film of the same name, by famed documentarian Rory Kennedy. East Side Community High School will be the first school to receive this groundbreaking HIV/AIDS educational tool.

Mary J. Blige (c) surrounded by teens at the United
Nations

Part of the United Nations World AIDS Day agenda the M·A·C AIDS Fund, the charity arm of M·A·C Cosmetics, will preview "Pandemic: Facing AIDS," a compelling and provocative film which outlines a global perspective of the AIDS pandemic. A Teen Town Hall meeting with the students, hosted by Grammy Award winning artist Mary J. Blige, Rory Kennedy and AIDS expert Victoria Sharp will follow the screening. The interactive forum will highlight the dramatic impact of HIV/AIDS on teenagers-- the fastest growing group of new infections worldwide. It is reported that more than half of all new HIV infections globally are among people under age 25, and more than half of those are girls.

Rory Kennedy, producer of PANDEMIC: Facing AIDS,
addresses teens at the United Nations

Setting their sights on this crucial demographic, the M·A·C AIDS Fund recently partnered with popular teen magazine, CosmoGirl! to find out what teenagers already know about HIV/ AIDS. While the survey revealed that over 90% of teens are educated about HIV/AIDS and receive the bulk of their information from school, over 30% are still misinformed on how the disease can be transmitted. (Results will be posted on CosmoGirl.com on November 26.)

"Pandemic": Facing AIDS " is a multi-faceted outreach consisting of a documentary film, book, photo exhibition, CD, website, and an education packet to promote awareness of the global AIDS crisis. Funded by the M·A·C AIDS Fund and the Elton John AIDS Foundation, the packet will reach over 500,000 students in the United States distributed by Doctors of the World and produced by Umbrage Editions and Moxie Firecracker Films. The film will be debut on HBO in Spring 2003.

The M·A·C AIDS Fund was established by M·A·C Cosmetics, Inc. in 1994 to support men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS globally. Introducing its first VIVA GLAM lipstick that same year, M·A·C decided that every cent of the selling price of the VIVA GLAM lipsticks would go to the AIDS fund. With a total of four VIVA GLAM lipsticks now sold worldwide, M·A·C, its employees, its retail partners, and its customers together have raised over $25 million to date for the M·A·C AIDS Fund. The Fund makes grants to not-for-profit organizations worldwide that provide basic needs, direct services, education, awareness and prevention programs to men, women and children affected by AIDS. The M·A·C AIDS Fund is the heart and soul of the company with its employees giving their time, energy, and talent to help those affected by HIV/AIDS worldwide. For more information on the "Pandemic": Facing AIDS" package visit www.doctorsoftheworld.org.