Norfolk, Va. Aug. 1, 2008 – Sony Electronics is helping more children smile through its support of the worldwide children’s medical charity Operation Smile.
Sony is commencing a retail promotion for Sony Cyber-shot® cameras featuring Smile ShutterTM technology at Sony Style® Stores, Sonystyle.com, and other participating retailers for the month of August.
Through this effort, the company will make a $100,000 donation to the organization. The funds will be used to provide free physical examinations and reconstructive surgeries for children suffering from cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities.
Sony is also donating Cyber-shot digital cameras to help Operation Smile volunteers capture smiles at more than 30 mission sites around the world. Equipped with Sony’s distinctive Smile Shutter technology, the cameras automatically capture a smile when the feature is activated, without having to press the shutter button. The result is snapshots with natural-looking smiles and expressions.
“It’s a precious moment when a child comes out of surgery with a new smile, so you don’t want to miss it and you want to get it right,” said Mike Fasulo, Chief Marketing Officer and Corporate Social Responsibility Officer at Sony Electronics. “Sony is in the business of preserving precious memories like these with our industry-leading digital imaging products and we are a proud supporter of Operation Smile.”
“We are so grateful to Sony Electronics for this significant financial support and commitment to our cause,” said Dr. Bill Magee, Operation Smile Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder. “With this relationship, Sony is not only helping Operation Smile provide new smiles to children born with facial deformities, but with their donation of cameras, they are also helping us capture images of these priceless moments during our medical missions.”
The retail promotion begins on August 1 nationwide.
About Operation Smile (www.operationsmile.org)
Founded in 1982, Operation Smile, headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, is a worldwide children’s medical charity whose network of global volunteers are dedicated to helping improve the health and lives of children and young adults. Since its founding, Operation Smile volunteers have treated more than 115,000 children born with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities and currently work in more than 40 countries. In addition to contributing free medical treatment, Operation Smile trains local medical professionals in its partner countries and leaves behind crucial equipment to lay the groundwork for long-term self-sufficiency.
About Sony Electronics
Sony Electronics Inc.: Headquartered in San Diego, Sony Electronics is a leading provider of audio/video electronics and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. Operations include research and development, design, engineering, manufacturing, sales, marketing, distribution and customer service. Sony has played a key role in the development of Blu-ray, Disc™, CD, DVD and Super Audio CD technologies, among many others. The company is noted for a wide range of consumer audio-visual products, such as the BRAVIA® LCD high-definition television, Cyber-shot® digital camera, Handycam® camcorder and Walkman® personal stereo. Sony is also an innovator in the IT arena with its VAIO® personal computers; and in high-definition professional broadcast and video equipment, highlighted by the XDCAM® HD and CineAlta™ lines of cameras and camcorders, and the SXRD™ 4K digital projector. The latest news and information is available at the company’s web site at www.sony.com/news.
