ART BY COALITION CHILDREN DEBUTES AT ORLANDO MARRIOTT DOWNTOWN ART GALLERY

(Exhibit features artwork created by children at Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida, under the direction of volunteer artists)

ORLANDO, Fla. — (July 25, 2005) — The Orlando Marriott Downtown Art Gallery is debuting a new art exhibit, Art by Coalition Children (ABCs), with a fundraising reception benefiting the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida.

The reception is scheduled for Thursday, July 28 from 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. at Orlando Marriott Downtown, located at 400 West Livingston Street. The reception is open to the public and includes gourmet food and wine from the Marriott’s Master Culinary Chef, John Clark. A $10 admission donation will directly benefit homeless men, women, and children served by the Coalition each day,

“We are extremely pleased that the ABCs exhibit will be showcased at Orlando Marriott Downtown,” notes Lorri Highet, director of volunteer services at Coalition for the Homeless, who oversees the ABCs program. “Our children learn so much through art; it’s a benefit for people from Orlando, and hotel guests, to see the world through the heart of a homeless child.”

The reception will also feature original artwork for sale from local artists. Half of all proceeds from the sale will benefit the Coalition.

Art By Coalition Children features many forms of art, including photography, acrylics, poetry, music, ink, sculpture, pottery, and drawings. Each piece was created under the direction of professional, volunteer artists by children living at the Coalition. The ABCs program began in October 2003, as collaboration between the Coalition and individuals representing Central Florida’s art, business and education communities.

Open to the general public at no cost, the ABCs exhibit at Orlando Marriott Downtown will be on display from July 9 to September 30, 2005. The Orlando Marriott Downtown Art Gallery is dedicated to promoting and selling work by outstanding artists in the Central Florida area. Since its opening in October 2003, the gallery has featured 42 area artists. The Orlando Marriott is owned and managed by Turnberry Associates.

About Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida

The Coalition for the Homeless has two campuses in Orlando and is the largest provider of homeless services, as well as the largest provider of residential services to children in Central Florida. The Coalition provided 63,643 nights of shelter to children in the past fiscal year, ending June 2004. In addition to food and shelter, the Coalition provides the following programs and services to children, either independently or through collaboration: Boys & Girls Club on the main campus; two fully-licensed daycare centers; Head Start; case management; crisis counseling; pediatric nurse; mental health services; a learning lab; and an early childhood development program, to name just a few.

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