Charity Event Raises Funds for Athletes of the Winter Special Olympics

MELVILLE, NY, February 28, 2003 - Nikon (www.nikonusa.com), the world leader in photography announced today, as part of the Nikon Spirit Initiative, its continued sponsorship of the 14th annual North American Police Ski Championship (NAPSC). The NAPSC is a not-for-profit police ski-week, which organizes athletic and charitable competition between law enforcement agencies from around the United States and the world to raise funds for athletes participating in the Winter Special Olympics. Nikon, for the eighth consecutive year, will serve as a lead sponsor for this charity event. This year, Nikon will donate two N65 SLR cameras with AF 28-80mm Zoom-Nikkor lenses, as well as six Lite-Touch Zoom 130 ED/QD point-and-shoot cameras. These products will be used as raffle giveaways, door prizes and sold at the charity auction. This year's event will be held in Keystone, Colorado from March 2 - 9.

"Nikon is pleased to continue our support for the North American Police Ski Championships," said Anna Marie Bakker, general manager, Communications, Nikon Inc. "As part of the Nikon Spirit Initiative, this event allows us the opportunity to help a worthwhile cause by supporting law enforcement officials to raise money for participants of the Winter Special Olympics."

This year's championship has participants from 65 different law enforcement agencies including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Italy. These participants will compete in snowboard, slalom, giant slalom and Super G ski races. Other events held during the ski-week include a charity auction, awards ceremony and the opportunity to watch the Winter Special Olympic athletes ski. To date, the North American Police Ski Championship has raised more than $350,000 for the Special Olympics.

About The Nikon Spirit Initiative
The Nikon Spirit Initiative (www.nikonusa.com/spiritinitiative) empowers photographers of all skill levels and helps them to realize and achieve their creative visions. Through this initiative, Nikon is committed to giving back to the photographic community by fostering education and providing opportunities and support through grants, scholarships, contests, promotion, workshops, equipment donations and financial contributions. The Nikon Spirit Initiative inspires photographers from all disciplines and encourages those organizations that use photography as a medium to directly impact the lives of others.

About NAPSC

The North American Police Ski Championship is highly regarded as the premier non-profit police ski event in North America and possibly the world. The NAPSC has received recognition from organizations such as the United States Ski Association (USSA), the International Police Sports Union (IPSU), the National Police Sports Federation (NPSF), the Fraternal Order of Police, the International Police Association and the International Association of Women Police. In the past nine years the NAPSC event has raised more than $350,000 for the International Winter Special Olympics.