Family Fun, Fitness and Healthy Living at HealthFest 2003; Event on Nat'l Mall to Help Families Experience Benefits of Biotechnology

6/17/2003

From: Rabab Pettitt, 703-739-2424, ext. 208 Deb Carstoiu, 202-962-9200 both for HealthFest 2003

News Advisory:

-- Family Fun, Fitness and Healthy Living at HealthFest 2003

-- Two-day event on National Mall will help families experience the benefits of biotechnology and learn about the latest in health-care

WHAT:

A free, educational event that brings together more than 100 patient advocacy groups, healthcare providers, volunteer health organizations and the area's leading biotechnology companies to offer visitors of all ages the opportunity to learn about preventative care, healthcare and the future of medicine and biotechnology.

HealthFest 2003 visitors can look forward to free health screenings, skills sessions on a specially designed basketball court with Wizard's star Jerry Stackhouse and other athletes, fitness challenges from the President's Council on Physical Fitness, cooking demos by Chef Kathleen Daelemans, host of Food Network's Cooking Thin, and spectacular shows by Mad Science of Washington. In addition, explorers young and old will get to tour NASA'S Space Station Imagination, talk to NASA astronauts and Oscar the Robot and board four state-of-the-art mobile labs.

HealthFest is sponsored by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO). It is the annual "kick-off" for the world's largest biotechnology industry event - the BIO 2003 annual convention. HealthFest is designed to educate the general public, elected officials, industry stakeholders and other key constituencies about the latest medical research and therapies as well as raise awareness of local health services and patient advocacy groups.

BIO represents more than 1,000 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations in all 50 U.S. states and 33 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products.

WHEN:

Saturday, June 21 and Sunday, June 22, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. each day

WHERE:

HealthFest 2003, on the National Mall, between 3rd and 4th Street

MEDIA: For more information on HealthFest 2003 and to receive additional materials, log on to: http://www.bio.org/healthfest or call Rabab Pettitt at the number listed above.