30 F.D.N.Y. Firefighters join disaster survivors nationwide to “Pay It Forward” & build 14,000 sq. ft. 4-H County Fairground Pavilion in Greensburg Sept. 4-7

Kiowa County EMA, Kansas 4-H, & SCKTRO partner with NEW YORK SAYS THANK YOU as 500 volunteers participate in “An American Barn-Raising on the 9/11 Anniversary 2008”

NEW YORK, NY & GREENSBURG, KS – September 2, 2008

– In a growing annual tradition to commemorate the kindness extended to New Yorkers in the days following September 11, The New York Says Thank You Foundation announced today it is sending over 250 volunteers from New York City and from around the United States to help rebuild Greensburg, Kansas this coming 9/11 Anniversary. Each year on the weekend prior to the 9/11 Anniversary, The New York Says Thank You Foundation sends New York City firefighters, many of them survivors of the World Trade Center attacks, to help rebuild communities around the U.S. affected by disaster. It’s the group’s way of saying “Thank You” for all the love and support Americans from across the country gave to New Yorkers in the days, weeks, and months following September 11. The group will be joined by hundreds of local volunteers as well as by disaster survivors from all the communities NEW YORK SAYS THANK YOU has helped nationwide on previous Anniversaries of 9/11 who continue to volunteer each year as their way to “Pay It Forward.”

This year, the Foundation will help rebuild the 14,000 square-foot Main Pavilion of the 4-H County Fairground in Greensburg, a town in South Central Kansas that was 95% destroyed by an EF-5 tornado on May 4, 2007. Building will commence Friday 9/5 at 8AM at the Greensburg County Fairground on Bay Street north of Highway 54 and will conclude with a bagpipe procession and community-wide celebration on Sunday 9/7. “People from small towns all over the United States just like Greensburg, Kansas went out of their way to help New Yorkers in the days following September 11. This is our way to honor that sense of humanity and kindness by helping our neighbors in Greensburg rebuild,” stated Jeff Parness, founder of The New York Says Thank You Foundation. An American “Barn-Raising” in Greenburg, Kansas on the 9/11 Anniversary 2008.

On May 4, 2007 an entire American town disappeared when an EF-5 tornado destroyed 95% of Greensburg, Kansas. On the upcoming 9/11 Anniversary 2008, we are going to bring a very special group of volunteers, led by FDNY firefighters who survived the 9/11 attacks, to raise the spirits of the people of Greensburg in a landmark and historic community rebuilding effort.14,000 square-foot Main Pavilion of Greensburg’s 4-H County Fairground. The Pavilion is the focal point of the 4-H County Fairgrounds as it represents the area’s strong agricultural tradition and serves as the central gathering place each year for the children and families of Greensburg, Kansas and the neighboring communities. The Pavilion is one of the structures that truly sits at the “heart” of this very special Kansas community and raising this landmark structure will help to uniquely raise the spirits of an entire town as well. In addition to the Main Pavilion, The New York Says Thank You Foundation is also working to help the Greensburg Rodeo Club rebuild the outdoor Rodeo Arena which was a key source of entertainment for the greater Greensburg  community and celebrates the areas strong livestock and farming traditions. Leading Construction Companies and Building Suppliers Nationwide Partner in this special 9/11 Anniversary “Barn-Raising”Lester Building Systems of Lester Prairie, Minn., Musco Lighting of Oskaloosa, Iowa, Brackney Construction of Hays, KS, RSC Equipment Rental of Liberal, KS, and DeWalt Tools of Towson, MD have committed to make significant in-kind material and services donations to help rebuild Greensburg’s 4-H County Fairground Pavilion and outdoor Rodeo Arena as part of the 9/11 Anniversary 2008 rebuilding effort. Other companies and individuals who have also made significant contributions to make this 9/11 Anniversary rebuilding project in Greensburg, Kansas possible include: The Association for a Better New York Foundation, Jonathan Tisch, Larry Silverstein, Newmark Knight Frank Realty, CB Richard Ellis, Merrill Lynch, KPMG, Savage Services Corp., 5LINX, MyPublisher.com, and the national law offices of Sonnenschein. Suppliers interested in donating materials to this special rebuilding project can receive a tax-deduction for their in-kind or financial contributions via The New York Says Thank You Foundation 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization.

From September 4-7, 2008 we are going to help the people of Greensburg, Kansas rebuild their devastated community by coordinating perhaps America’s largest “Barn-Raising.” Working in partnership with Kiowa County EMA, Kansas 4-H Clubs, and South Central Kansas Tornado Recovery Organization, The New York Says Thank You Foundation will be bringing over 250 volunteers from New York City and from around the U.S. to rebuild the

14,000 square-foot Main Pavilion of Greensburg’s 4-H County Fairground. The Pavilion is the focal point of the 4-H County Fairgrounds as it represents the area’s strong agricultural tradition and serves as the central gathering place each year for the children and families of Greensburg, Kansas and the neighboring communities. The Pavilion is one of the structures that truly sits at the “heart” of this very special Kansas community and raising this landmark structure will help to uniquely raise the spirits of an entire town as well. In addition to the Main Pavilion, The New York Says Thank You Foundation is also working to help the Greensburg Rodeo Club rebuild the outdoor Rodeo Arena which was a key source of entertainment for the greater Greensburg  community and celebrates the areas strong livestock and farming traditions. Leading Construction Companies and Building Suppliers Nationwide Partner in this special 9/11 Anniversary “Barn-Raising”

The New York Says Thank You Foundation is proud to announce

Lester Building Systems of Lester Prairie, Minn., Musco Lighting of Oskaloosa, Iowa, Brackney Construction of Hays, KS, RSC Equipment Rental of Liberal, KS, and DeWalt Tools of Towson, MD have committed to make significant in-kind material and services donations to help rebuild Greensburg’s 4-H County Fairground Pavilion and outdoor Rodeo Arena as part of the 9/11 Anniversary 2008 rebuilding effort. Other companies and individuals who have also made significant contributions to make this 9/11 Anniversary rebuilding project in Greensburg, Kansas possible include: The Association for a Better New York Foundation, Jonathan Tisch, Larry Silverstein, Newmark Knight Frank Realty, CB Richard Ellis, Merrill Lynch, KPMG, Savage Services Corp., 5LINX, MyPublisher.com, and the national law offices of Sonnenschein. Suppliers interested in donating materials to this special rebuilding project can receive a tax-deduction for their in-kind or financial contributions via The New York Says Thank You Foundation 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization.

Disaster Survivors from across the United States “Pay It Forward” this 9/11 Anniversary in Greensburg, Kansas In addition to 100+ New York City firefighters, 9/11 family members, Ground Zero construction workers, NYC schoolchildren and scores of other volunteers from the Big Apple travelling to Greensburg to help out, The New York Says Thank You Foundation expects to be joined in Kansas by as many as 150 disaster survivor volunteers from around the country including San Diego wildfire survivors, Hurricane Katrina survivors from Slidell, Louisiana, and tornado survivors from Utica, Illinois, Evansville and DeGonia Springs, Indiana, and Groesbeck, Texas – all communities assisted by The New York Says Thank You Foundation on previous anniversaries of Sept. 11. As with all rebuilding projects, the Foundation welcomes the participation of volunteers from the local community to create a unique weekend of community service to focus on giving back on the 9/11 Anniversary. We are also honored to have Chaplain Steve Holden, the Executive Director of the United States Emergency Chaplains Corps to officiate over all community services throughout the weekend.

To date, The New York Says Thank You Foundation’s rebuilding efforts have been featured on over 320 television news programs nationwide including CNN, NBC, CBS, and Fox and the story of how the organization was started by the suggestion of a 5-year-old boy in New York City is explained at the group’s website at NewYorkSaysThankYou.org.