Henri A. Termeer, Chairman
President and CEO of Genzyme Corporation
To Be
Honored by
T he March of Dimes at Black-Tie Gala

Boston, Massachusetts---- On Saturday evening, October 25, 2003, treat yourself to an evening of elegance hosted by Gail Huff of WCVB-TV and Chet Curtis of New England Cable News and help raise funds to reduce prematurity, birth defects and infant mortality in Massachusetts. The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Humanitarian Award Gala is a prestigious black-tie fundraiser to benefit the March of Dimes featuring a culinary extravaganza prepared by local and international French Master Chefs, a musical performance by the Handel & Haydn Society, outstanding live and silent auctions and an award presentation to the receipient of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Humanitarian Award.

The March of Dimes will present the 2003 Franklin Delano Roosevelt Humanitarian Award to Chairman, President and CEO Henri A. Termeer of Genzyme Corporation (pictured here) for his tremendous contributions to the biotechnology industry for more than 30 years. The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Award is the most prestigious form of recognition the March of Dimes can bestow upon a local honoree. The Award is presented to individuals and/or companies who volunteer a significant amount of time and resources to the March of Dimes and other human service organizations. We also recognize the honoree for the tremendous impact they have made in the community by supporting the mission of the March of Dimes whether by research, education or community involvement. Past honorees include CNN's Larry King, Boston POP's conductor Keith Lockhart, model Christie Brinkley, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, and ABC-TV's Jack Ford.The event will also feature local chefs Raymond Ost of Sandrine's in Cambridge and Jacky Robert of Lock-Ober in Boston. Visiting chefs include Jean-Louis Dumonet of The Dumonet in New York, NY, Jose Gutierrez of The Peabody in Memphis, Tennessee and Bruno Vrignon of Epcot Center in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The evening will begin with a VIP cocktail reception at 6:00 p.m. for major sponsors of the event. The silent auction and cocktail reception will be underway at 6:30 p.m., and the dinner, musical entertainment and award presentation will begin at 8:00 p.m. The live auction will occur later in the evening and will include desirable packages such as a European Getaways and extraordinary rare pieces of art.

Tickets for this lavish event are $275 each and tables of ten are available for large parties. The Ritz-Carlton, Boston is located at 15 Arlington Street and will be the setting for this year's event. For more information on sponsorship opportunities or to purchase tickets, please contact Christian Wilson at 508-663-2111.

The March of Dimes extends special thanks to presenting sponsors Genzyme Corporation and UBS as well as other generous supporters including Fisher Scientific, Pfizer, Inc., Ropes & Gray, LLP, Turner Construction, The Richmond Group, Pinkerton, Palmer & Dodge, LLP, Constellation New Energy, New England Controls, Perkins, Smith & Cohen, LLP, Sodexho, Boston Business Journal and Delta Air Lines.

ABOUT THE MARCH OF DIMES

The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to
improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community service, education, and advocacy and in 2003 launched a five-year campaign to address the increasing rate of premature birth. In Massachusetts, prematurity is the leading cause of infant mortality and is a major determinant of mental retardation, cerebral palsy, and blindness. The annual rate of babies born prematurely in Massachusetts has risen 31 percent in the last decade, and almost half of all premature births have no known cause. For more information on how you can get involved to ensure the vital research and educational activities that take place here in Massachusetts will continue to save the lives of our future, contact the March of Dimes, Massachusetts Chapter at 508-663-2100 or email us at ma625@marchofdimes.com.