American Greetings and Weis Markets Support Geisinger Hospital During Miracle Weekend

             Famous Costumed Characters Visit Hospitalized Children

    SUNBURY, Pa., May 25 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 2nd and 3rd, Weis Markets and
American Greetings will join forces again to help host the 17th annual
Children's Miracle Network and Geisinger Health Systems fund raising event.
    The Miracle Weekend events are open to the public and will run from
Saturday, June 2nd (noon to 8:00 PM) through June 3rd (7:00 AM to 6:00 PM) on
the Geisinger Medical Center grounds in Danville, PA.  Entertainment will
include a 21-hour Children's Miracle Network (CMN) live telethon broadcast on
WYOU-TV 22, a carnival, a 5-K race, a walk-a-thon, a celebrity auction,
caricature artists and more.
    A dozen costumed character appearances as well as other surprise guests
and celebrities will include American Greetings' Birthday Bear, Weis Markets
Power Partners, and Scranton Wilkes-Barre Red Barons' mascot who will visit
hospitalized kids.
    American Greetings and Weis Markets booth at the carnival will include a
giant get well greeting card for event attendees to sign for patients, photos
with American Greetings Birthday Bear and Weis Power Partners costumed
characters, artists creating personalized greeting cards, and free balloons.
American Greetings and Weis Markets will also host a special party for
patients including caricature artists, visits with costumed characters,
refreshments and more.
    "Over the past 18 years, Weis Markets has been a strong supporter of the
Geisinger Children's Hospital and the Children's Miracle Network.  Since 1995,
we have worked with American Greetings to make this an even better event.
During this time, American Greetings generous participation has become an
integral part of the success of this annual event, which supports a state-of-
the-art medical center that helps children and their families when they need
it the most," said Dennis Curtin of Weis Markets.
    Weis Markets, which is based in nearby Sunbury, PA, has been a strong
supporter of the Children's Hospital at Geisinger since the event began in
1984.  Over   $20 million has been raised, and all monies generated from the
event support pediatric services at Geisinger.
    American Greetings is the world's largest publicly held creator,
manufacturer and distributor of greeting cards and social expression products.
Its staff of artists, designers and writers comprises one of the largest
creative departments in the world and helps consumers "say it best" by
supplying more than 15,000 greeting card designs to retail outlets in nearly
every English-speaking country.  The company markets greeting cards under the
brand names American Greetings, Carlton Cards and Gibson Greetings.  Business
units include Balloon Zone, DateWorks calendars, Designers' Collection
stationery, Design Ware party goods, GuildHouse candles, Learning Horizons
educational products, Magnivision reading glasses, and Plus Mark seasonal gift
wrap and boxed greetings.  American Greetings employs more than 21,000
associates around the world and drives more than $2.5 billion in annual sales.
For more information visit http://www.americangreetings.com/ on the World Wide
Web.
    Weis Markets, Inc. currently operates 163 stores in six states:
Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and West Virginia.  It
also owns SuperPetz, a pet supply superstore chain with 33 locations in 11
states.

              MIRACLE WEEKEND EVENTS AT GEISINGER MEDICAL CENTER
                             100 N. Academy Ave.
                             Danville, PA  17822
                       (570) 271-6188 or (800) 322-5437
                     Open to the public - free admission

    SATURDAY, JUNE 2
    NOON - 8 PM         Bingo, rides, games, entertainment & food; Craft Fair;
                        Health Fair (Women's Hospital); Chicken BBQ;
                        Pennsylvania Volkswagen Club
    1 PM                Celebrity Auction
    4 PM                5K Walk/Run registration (Knapper Clinic)
    5 PM                5K Walk/Run start
    6 PM                Torch Lighting Ceremony - Geisinger Medical Center
    9 PM                Live telethon broadcast begins on WYOU-TV 22

    SUNDAY, JUNE 3
    7 AM -  11AM        Pancake Breakfast
    11 AM - 6 PM        Bingo, rides, games, entertainment & food; Craft Fair;
                        Health Fair (Women's Hospital)
    2 PM                Ice sculpture demonstration
    6 PM                Telethon broadcast concludes

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SOURCE  American Greetings