Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. and MTV Games Make a Donation to Starlight and Bring Rock Band(R) to Thousands of Seriously Ill Children
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 19 -- Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. and MTV
Games are making a generous minimum $50,000 gift to Starlight Children's
Foundation to bring the power of music to children facing chronic and
life-threatening illnesses. The partnership will allow Harmonix, the world's
premiere music video game development company and creators of Rock Band®,
and MTV Games, publisher of Rock Band, to give Starlight children the chance
to relax, enjoy and rock out to music in a fully interactive and social
setting. In addition, more than 650 Rock Band® bundles have been provided to
Starlight's seriously ill children at its Great Escape family events and
to hospitals around the country.
"We're honored to work with Starlight, which has an amazing tradition of
offering support to seriously ill children," said Alex Rigopulos, CEO and
co-founder of Harmonix Music Systems. "We hope that our contribution will give
these deserving families a new avenue to spend time together and enjoy great
music."
Paul DeGooyer, Senior Vice President of Electronic Games and Music for MTV
Networks Music & Logo Group, added: "We're very excited to be part of a
program enabling Starlight kids and their families to rock out a bit through
our placement of games in hospitals and at family events, facilitating
once-in-a-lifetime getaways, and donations. It truly is a privilege to help
Starlight and its mission."
Beyond the monetary gift and product donation, the partnership will:
-- enable select Starlight families to attend the Rock Band tour events,
-- provide Rock Band bundles to Starlight families at Starlight's Great
Escapes family activities,
-- provide Rock Band bundles to pediatric patients at select Starlight
hospital partners, and
-- provide Rock Band themed Great Escape family activities, which will be
hosted for Starlight families by Harmonix and MTV Games.
Great Escapes (www.starlight.org/greatescapes) is a program created by
Starlight to provide families with seriously ill children with a chance to
spend recreational time together to relax, regroup and return home with a
renewed sense of strength and hope. Great Escapes include movie screenings,
trips to the circus, ball games, harbor cruises, mother-daughter makeovers,
picnics, pajama parties and many more special activities. Starlight currently
provides regular Great Escapes in more than 30 communities throughout the
country.
The Rock Band themed Great Escapes will give Starlight children and family
members a behind-the-scenes look at Rock Band, a chance to meet the game's
creators, a sneak peak at new content and other once-in-a-lifetime
experiences.
"We all know that music is healing, and we are expecting Rock Band
products to have a powerful, therapeutic effect on our children," said Paula
Van Ness, CEO of Starlight Children's Foundation. "Rock Band will provide
distractive entertainment therapy for thousands of seriously ill children and
their families, both in the hospital setting and on an out-patient basis."
About MTV Games
MTV Games is dedicated to creating, marketing and publishing high-quality,
innovative interactive products that are relevant to the MTV audience and
complement the core values of the MTV Networks brands.
About MTV Networks
MTV Networks, a division of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is one of the
world's leading creators of entertainment content, with brands that engage and
connect diverse audiences across television, online, mobile, games, virtual
worlds and consumer products. The company's portfolio spans more than 150
television channels and 350 digital media properties worldwide, and includes
MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, Harmonix, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Noggin, The N,
AddictingGames, Neopets, COMEDY CENTRAL, Spike TV, TV Land, Atom, Gametrailers
and Xfire.
About Harmonix Music Systems, Inc.
Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., based in Cambridge, MA, and established in
1995, is the leading developer of groundbreaking music-oriented videogames.
Harmonix was founded by Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy, who formed the company
to invent new ways for non-musicians to experience the unique joy that comes
from making music and have pioneered music and rhythm gaming in the US.
About Starlight Children's Foundation
When a child or teenager has a serious medical condition, everyone in the
family is affected. For 25 years, Starlight Children's Foundation has been
dedicated to helping seriously ill children and their families cope with their
pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and family
activities. Starlight's programs have been proven to distract children from
their pain, help them better understand and manage their illnesses, and
connect families facing similar challenges so that no one feels alone. Through
a network of chapters and offices, Starlight provides ongoing support to
children, parents and siblings in all U.S. states and Canadian provinces with
an array of outpatient, hospital-based and Web offerings. Programs are also
delivered internationally through affiliates in Australia, Japan and the
United Kingdom. To learn more visit www.starlight.org.
SOURCE MTV Games
CONTACT:
Donna DeDario, +1-323-556-3322
donna.dedario@starlight.org