FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BP Teams Up With Students At FIU to Distribute Hurricane Guides Throughout South Florida

Guides available in English and Spanish at 167 participating South Florida BP stations

NORTH MIAMI, FL (June 9, 2003) – For the tenth consecutive year, Florida International University (FIU) students have joined forces with BP Products of North America (formerly known as Amoco) to produce a free 92-page hurricane guide for South Florida residents. Available in English and Spanish, the 2003 Get Ready preparedness guide is the only pocket-size guide endorsed by the International and National Hurricane Centers, and will be available free at 167 participating BP stations throughout Miami-Dade and Broward counties beginning this weekend.

A kickoff event will be held at BP’s newest corporate station, located at the corner of W. Flagler Street and 25th Street in Miami, from 9:30-11 a.m. on Thursday, June 12. At that event, BP will be giving away certificates for $25 worth of free gas to the first 10 patrons requesting the guide, as well as handing out free coffee and fountain drinks.

“BP Amoco is proud to continue being part of this very worthwhile project,” said local BP Regional Account Executive Joey Tamayo. “Assisting South Floridians in preparing for the hurricane season is one way BP Amoco can help give back to the community,” he added. Underwriting of the Get Ready 2003 program brings BP’s contributions to the project to some $375,000 since its inception in 1993, following Hurricane Andrew.

Additional funding support for the project has come from the International Hurricane Center. “We’re delighted to again be associated with this important community service program,” said Dr. Stephen Leatherman, International Hurricane Center director. Also known nationwide as “Dr. Beach” for his reviews of the country’s best beaches, Leatherman says that along with offering storm-mitigation advice to South Floridians with the hard-copy version, the students are providing crucial information to some 44 million people along coastal areas in other parts of the country through the Get Ready website http://www.fiu.edu/~getready.

During the 2000 hurricane season, FIU Public Relations Student Society of America Chapter members distributed the one-millionth hard copy of the Get Ready guide and plans to give away some 75,000 copies this year.

The Public Relations Student Society of America is the world’s preeminent, pre-professional public relations student organization, with more than 7,000 members at 227 colleges and universities in 43 states and the District of Columbia. The FIU Chapter has won national recognition from PRSSA for the Get Ready project twice in the past nine years.

A PHOTO OP is available at the following stations on Thursday, June 12, from 9:30-11 a.m.:
• 2445 W. Flagler St., Miami, FL 33125 (corner of 25th Street). Tamayo and representatives of FIU PRSSA will be available to provide quotes.

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