Virgin Megastores Unite With ONE: The Campaign to Make Poverty History

LOS ANGELES (Virgin Megastores) - More than one billion people live on less than $1 a day with few opportunities to earn more. Each day over 8,500 people lose their lives as a result of AIDS. These realities are why Virgin Entertainment Group, North America, is uniting with ONE: The Campaign to Make Poverty History. In an effort to rally music and entertainment fans and empower them to become active in the global fight against AIDS and extreme poverty, Virgin Entertainment Group is hosting an event on June 29th at Virgin Megastore, Union Square in New York City, where representatives of ONE will be on hand to educate and engage Virgin customers to act and join forces with ONE.

Customers can pick up ONE White Bands - the symbol of the campaign - and make a personal commitment by signing the ONE Declaration. More than 800,000 Americans are now sporting the White Band and getting active in the campaign. In the next two weeks, the leaders of the world's wealthiest nations will meet at the G8 summit in Scotland and ONE is mobilizing Americans to send President Bush to this meeting with a clear message:

* Help the poorest people of the world fight poverty, AIDS at a cost equal to just ONE percent more of the US budget on a clear timetable;
* Cancel 100% of the debts owed by the poorest countries;
* Reform trade rules so poor countries can earn sustainable incomes. More than 175,000 Americans have signed a letter to President Bush supporting an historic deal for Africa at the G8 Summit.

In support of ONE, Virgin Megastore, Union Square, is lining up in-store performances with surprise guest artists who will show their support in person on the 29th. "Michelle Shocked will be signing copies and performing songs from her latest CD 'Threesome' at 5:00 PM.
Warner Brothers band, Head Automatica, with Daryl Palumbo, formerly of Glassjaw, will also be signing copies and performing songs from their debut album 'Decadence' featuring 'Beating Heart Baby' at 6:00 PM. More artists will be announced shortly."
On June 19th, the Virgin Megastore chain began selling ONE White Bands for $1 to highlight the emergency nationwide. Free information literature will be available to customers at all Virgin Megastores. Virgin will also help to communicate ONE's goals through in-store end cap displays and store signage.