"Visa
has been an invaluable marketing partner to America's Olympic and
Paralympic athletes and hopefuls, and their commitment to supporting
the Olympic Movement in America is a driving force behind the success
of U. "I speak for all 345,000
associates in saying to our OJOP athletes, 'You can do it, and we are proud to
help. Olympic Team sponsorship and its athletes at
http://www.

olympics tvnz

Visa's Gold Medal Athletes for
the Torino Olympic Winter Games include alpine skiers Bode Miller,
Marco Sullivan and Julia Mancuso, figure skater Michelle Kwan,
freestyle moguls skier Travis Cabral, ice hockey pioneer Cammi
Granato, speed skater Derek Parra, snowboard cross champions Lindsey
Jacobellis and Seth Wescott , freestyle aerialist Emily Cook, skeleton
veteran Lea Ann Parsley, bobsledder Jill Bakken, nordic combined star
Johnny Spillane, and Paralympic standouts Laurie Stephens (Disabled
Alpine) and Manuel Guerra (Sledge Hockey). Ski and Snowboard Association, USA Track and Field and
USA Gymnastics . Olympic Committee's Olympic Job
Opportunities Program (OJOP), The Home Depot allows U.

About The Home Depot
Founded in 1978, The Home Depot(R) is the world's largest home improvement
specialty retailer and the second largest retailer in the United States, with
fiscal 2004 sales of $73.

columnists athlete

"By allowing us to join in their personal
journey, these athletes enable Visa to provide our Member financial
institutions with compelling storylines and imagery that will help
bring our collective Torino Olympic marketing programs to life in the
months ahead."
Visa's comprehensive support of the Olympic Games also includes
sponsorships with the International Olympic Committee , U..

eurovision athlete

No
purchase or obligation is necessary to enter or win.3 trillion in
transactions with virtually 100 percent reliability.S. Since 1992, The Home Depot associates have
accounted for nearly 11 percent of all medals won by Team USA. In November 2003, The Home Depot announced that it will continue its
sponsorship of the U.S. 1 Most Admired Specialty Retailer for 2005.

----

Save The Date Media Advisory

WHAT: Visa will announce its 2006 Visa Gold Medal Athlete Torino
Team and unveil its integrated marketing plans for the
upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Torino,
Italy.m.

broadcasters 2006

This new program
will provide support for veterans with service-related physical
disabilities to participate in Paralympic sports as a regular and
ongoing part of their rehabilitation and everyday lives. Worldwide,
cardholders in over 150 countries carry more than 1 billion
Visa-branded cards, accounting for more than $3 trillion in annual
transaction volume.
EDITOR: Graphics available for this story include: athlete photos ,
sample marketing materials, and past Olympic television commercials.
Currently, more than 200 U.

podcast turin

com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030502/HOMEDEPOTLOGO )
Through its sponsorship of the U.
Additional marketing support includes a consumer promotion for the chance
to win a training session with a The Home Depot Olympic athlete and an online
cross-promotion with Olympic sponsor General Electric's Adora Series of
appliances. Olympic Team, register for consumer
promotions and read daily journal entries from several of The Home Depot's
Olympic athlete-associates competing in the Olympic Winter Games.
Its stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HD) and is included
in the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard + Poor's 500 index.

CONTACT: Steve Hickok
Fleishman-Hillard
(212) 453-2353

Additional details regarding the Visa Gold Medal Athlete
Press Conference to follow

scotsman athlete

Several national merchants
have already committed to use Visa's Torino Olympic Winter Games
assets, which include Olympic imagery and marks, as well as customized
marketing programs in support of Visa products and services .
Since 2002 that support has been instrumental in helping gain
domestic television coverage and drawing attention to the
inspirational stories of America's Paralympic athletes. To date, 283 athlete -associates have competed in the Olympic and
Paralympic Games, earning a total of 171 medals: 75 gold , 59 silver and 37
bronze.com/, which will be live from Jan..

iafrica medals

'"
Since 1992, The Home Depot has employed more than 500 athletes through
OJOP.S.
Thursday, May 26

WHERE: Millennium Broadway Hotel
145 West 44th Street
New York, New York
(212) 768-4400
Conference Room TBD

RSVP: Please let us know if you plan to attend.

2006 torino

"Visa has a history of raising awareness for breakthrough sports
and breakthrough athletes," Michael Lynch, senior vice president, Visa
USA.S.

Record Number of The Home Depot Associates Qualify for 2006 U.S. Olympic Games

(Logo: http://www.
"The Home Depot has provided me with the financial support and flexibility
to work and maintain a job while pursuing my Olympic dream," said Brock
Kreitzburg, The Home Depot athlete-associate and member of the 2006 U. Olympic Team, The Home Depot will debut an Olympic-
themed television commercial, "Super," during NBC's coverage of the opening
ceremony on February 10, and will continue to air the spot throughout the
Games on NBC's family of networks in both 30- and 60-second versions. The spot ends with, "A
superhero has a secret identity.

tribune olympic

athletes. Visa is
committed to the Paralympic Games through 2012, and recently pledged
support for the USOC Paralympic Military Program. Olympic and
Paralympic athletes, today announced that a record 33 associates have earned a
place on the U.S.

headline broadcasters

Paralympic Games

In addition to its sponsorship of the Olympic Games, Visa is the
only worldwide sponsor of the Paralympic Movement and proud supporter
of Paralympic Athletes in the United States. The program helps to accommodate the athletes'
busy training and competition schedules while offsetting their expenses.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes and hopefuls are
employed by The Home Depot. We want to set-up
the meeting room to accommodate all attendees and to ensure
easy access to the athletes.

turin biathlon

Olympics Writers/Sports Editors

NEW YORK----Visa USA today kicked off
its 2006 Torino Olympic Winter Games marketing campaign by introducing
its roster of 15 U .
"Visa knows how to maximize the value of the Olympic Games
sponsorship for its Members and merchants while also bringing athletes
closer to their dreams and the American public closer to the athletes
that represent our nation on the world stage during Olympic and
Paralympic competition," said Jim Scherr, USOC chief executive. See Official
Rules at www.visa.-based financial institutions relied on
Visa's processing system, VisaNet, to facilitate $1. HDG

outfit tribune

"America is passionate about its Olympic athletes, and by creating
programs that speak to the passion and value to Visa cardholders, we
increase loyalty to the Member financial institutions that issue our
cards," said Lynch. This extends to include the
purchase of Olympic merchandise online, in Olympic retail stores , and
by catalog.S.S.S. Dallas-based The Richards
Group developed the creative. The company employs approximately 345,000
associates and has 2,042 stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia ,
Puerto Rico, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico.

torino 2012

When a cardholder
uses his or her Visa card from August 1 through September 30, 2005, he
or she will be entered automatically for a chance to win a Grand Prize
trip for themselves and three guests to attend the Torino 2006 Olympic
Winter Games .

About Visa USA

Visa USA is the nation's leading payment brand and largest payment
system , enabling banks to provide their consumers and business
customers with a wide variety of payment alternatives tailored to meet
their evolving needs. Visa USA is committed to increasing the choice ,
convenience, acceptance, and security of Visa payments for all
stakeholders in the payments systems - Members, cardholders and
merchants. The
campaign, told through the voice of a child, features world-class U. 30-Feb.

WHO: All 14 Visa Gold Medal Athletes (VGMA) are expected to
attend the press conference in New York City including
Olympians, Michelle Kwan , Bode Miller, Cammi Granato and
Derek Parra.

broadcasters torino

Olympic
and Paralympic athletes as real -life superheroes who possess superhuman talent
and can accomplish tasks the average person cannot .homedepotteamusa.

ADVISORY/Visa Gold Medal Athletes to be Introduced May 26 in New York; Reporters Will Have Unique Access to Twelve Olympic and Two Paralympic Hopefuls Vying to

335 podcast

S.

Member and Merchant Marketing

In addition to its national marketing efforts, Visa will work
directly with its Member financial institutions and merchants to
create promotional, in-branch, direct mail and point -of-sale marketing
programs that promote Visa's Olympic-related properties. In the United
States , 212 Member Banks and more than 1,900 merchants directly
participated in Visa's Olympic marketing programs for the 2004 Athens
Games.
For the Torino Olympic Winter Games, Visa is once again on pace to
have record participation from Members and merchant partners.

Category Exclusivity

Visa retains its position as the only card that enables consumers
to get into the Olympic Games at venues in Torino and at select
Olympic Trials in the United States. Visa offers a trusted , reliable and convenient way
to access and mobilize financial resources - anytime, anywhere,
anyway .
Visitors to the site can view the new television ad, get up-to-date
information on the progress of the U.

Olympics Writers/Sports Editors
ADVISORY. Following a brief press conference, reporters will
have an opportunity to interview these athletes in smaller
groups and learn more about their journey and their
expectations for Torino.

medals 335

Ten First Prize winners can catch all of the Olympic
Games action on a state-of-the-art 42" Panasonic HD Plasma TV. This category exclusivity provides a powerful tool in
differentiating Visa from its competitors, also driving volume and
usage for Members and merchant partners. Olympic and Paralympic Teams through the 2008 Olympic
Games in Beijing, China.
Olympic and Paralympic superheroes than any other company in the world.

2012 scotsman

ATLANTA, The Home Depot(R), the world's
largest home improvement retailer and leading employer of U. Olympic and
Paralympic athletes and hopefuls to work part time in exchange for full -time
compensation and benefits.

tribune iafrica

Visa also announced a forthcoming
cause-related initiative to raise a minimum of $1 million, in addition
to its current commitment, to help support America's Olympic and
Paralympic athletes. "Over the years, through our athlete support, national television
advertising and marketing communications, we've promoted women's ice
hockey, women's pole vault, women's bobsled , and women's beach
volleyball and seen America go on to win gold medals in all of these
new Olympic events.S. In doing
so, these stakeholders can use Olympic marks and imagery in their
marketing efforts to enhance card acquisition, activation, usage,
retention and employee motivation programs .newscom.S. The Home Depot has been
recognized by FORTUNE as the No.

WHEN: 11 a.

headline turin

Visa USA Pledges to Raise at Least $1 Million for America's Olympic Athletes; Visa Gathers Torino U.S. Olympic Hopefuls to Launch 20th Year of Olympic Games Sp

At the
heart of this partnership has been our support for and use of
America's Olympic and Paralympic athletes," said Susanne Lyons, chief
marketing officer, Visa USA."
Continuing a long-term commitment which began in 1986, Visa's
marketing efforts around the Olympic Games have included national
advertising, national promotions, public relations and customized
programs for Member financial institutions and merchant partners
alike."
Visa 's 2006 Torino Olympic Winter Games integrated marketing
efforts include:

Athlete Support

Visa's commitment to the training and development of America's
Olympic athletes is exemplified through its "Visa Gold Medal Athlete"
program. Visa will also offer access to exclusive VIP Torino
Olympic Winter Games trip packages to Visa Signature cardholders.
Independent research from the Athens Olympic Games conducted by
Performance Research ranked Visa number one among all Olympic sponsors
in consumer awareness, favorability of Olympic-themed advertising and
the number one company supporting the Olympic movement. "I would not be an Olympian if it weren't for The
Home Depot.
The Home Depot has created a Web site offering information on the
company's U. 26.

biathlon scotsman

One Member financial institution signed up 50,000 new Visa
check card customers for an Olympic-themed card and another bank
generated nearly 47,000 new accounts by using a trip to Athens as an
incentive for their financial advisors .com/usolympics (beginning August 1) for details on
non-purchase entries.
Olympic Team for bobsled ."
In support of the U.S.

columnists ctv

"For the last twenty years the Olympic Games have been a powerful
tool in demonstrating the value of Visa products and services.S. Olympic
Committee, U.S."
Athletes featured in the spot include Tony Benshoof (luge), Jeret Peterson
(freestyle aerial skiing ), Derek Parra (speed skating), Shauna Rohbock and
Valerie Fleming (bobsled), Jenny Potter (ice hockey ), Jillian Vogtli (mogul
skiing), and Monte Meier (Paralympic alpine skiing). Michael Lynch, Senior
Vice President, Event + Sponsorship Marketing, Visa USA will
be available for comment at the press conference. - 12 p.

msnbc broadcasters

As an Olympic sponsor Visa has contributed more than $9 million
to America's Olympic athletes, and was the first sponsor to renew its
worldwide Olympic partnership through the 2012 Olympic Games. "Research shows the power of Visa's Olympic
sponsorship in reinforcing our unsurpassed position in the industry
and driving business for our Members and merchants.

National Promotion

Visa's "Join the Journey" national promotion allows Visa Members
and merchants to benefit from Visa's sponsorship of the Olympic Games
by providing their cardholders and customers with a unique opportunity
to experience the world's number one sporting event.S.
"We are proud to empower so many associates to achieve their dreams of
competing in the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games on behalf of The Home
Depot and our nation," said Tom Taylor, executive vice president of
Merchandising and Marketing, The Home Depot.

scotsman podcast

Olympic Team hopefuls , who have collectively won
11 Olympic and Paralympic medals.
From skiers to speed skaters to sledge hockey champions, Visa
offers its Members and merchants a broad cross-section of athletes and
sports to help build their business. These
programs increase the value of Visa's sponsorship of the Olympic Games
by allowing Members and merchants to use the popularity of the Olympic
marks and Visa's Gold Medal Athletes in direct communication with
their customers. Last year, U. Olympic Team and will compete in the 2006 Olympic Winter
Games in Torino, Italy. The Home Depot is proud to employ more U.m.

athlete podcast

Through this program, Visa provides financial support, life
skills training and valuable marketing exposure to athletes in pursuit
of their Olympic dreams. Through its 14,000 Member financial institutions, more than
463 million Visa-branded cards have been issued to cardholders in the
United States. The Home Depot athletes will represent Team USA in
such sports as luge, bobsled, freestyle skiing, speedskating and curling.1 billion. Combined, the VGMA Team has won 12 World
Championships and nine Olympic medals.