Kids For Our Troops photojournalism fundraising contest kicks off with Build Brigade for specially-adapted home in Plainfield, Ill. for injured veteran Army SPC Frank Pierson

VALHALLA, N.Y., May 20, 2010 – Fujifilm’s SeeHere.com, in conjunction with its sponsorship of Homes For Our Troops, has launched a fundraising and photojournalism project to support Kids For Our Troops – a program that encourages teens to participate in community service. Homes For Our Troops builds specially-adapted homes for severely injured military veterans. On May 21, the charity will break ground on a home in Plainfield, Ill. for Army SPC Frank Pierson who lost both his legs after his vehicle came under attack while he was serving in Iraq.

SeeHere.com selected three students in the Plainfield area to document the building of SPC Pierson’s home and create a fundraising and awareness-building campaign for Homes For Our Troops. Thecampaignwill run for approximately 90 days – the time it takes for a Homes For Our Troops home to be built, beginning with the Build Brigade (when volunteers break ground on the home site) and ending with the Key Ceremony (when SPC Pierson will receive the keys to his new home).

SeeHere.com provides the students, ages 13 to 16, with the tools to help develop and execute the campaign including a digital camera, SeeHere.com coupons with a special offer for donors, and marketing materials such as posters and an online share page. The student contest will take place throughout the year in various towns across the country where Homes For Our Troops builds are taking place. In March 2011, all Kids For Our Troops campaigns will be evaluated and the student who creates the most effective campaign will receive a $5,000 scholarship from Fujifilm.

“SeeHere’s partnership with Homes For Our Troops provides Fujifilm with a way to give back to the community, and Kids For Our Troops provides us with a great opportunity to rally budding photojournalists to help us raise funds and create more awareness for this fantastic cause,” said John Prendergast, vice president, Product and System Development, Fujifilm North America Corporation.  “We look forward to the creative and effective fundraising and marketing campaigns the students are sure to develop.”

“Community volunteers are the foundation of Homes For Our Troops’ successful builds and we are thrilled to get more students involved with Kids For Our Troops,” said John Gonsalves, president, Homes For Our Troops. “With the existing financial support of Fujifilm and now with the awareness and funds that the student project will provide, we will be able to help more injured veterans and provide them with the specially-adapted homes they so deserve.”

Students interested in future Homes For Our Troops builds should visit www.SeeHere.com and click the “Kids For Our Troops” link to get more information on the program and the upcoming builds where the projects will take place.

The SeeHere.com-sponsored Kids For Our Troops project is part of Fujifilm’s existing partnership with Homes For Our Troops, which includes the corporation’s donation of $100,000. Additionally, SeeHere.com donates $2.00 from the sale of all stainless steel travel mugs, hooded sweatshirts and totebags on the photo sharing site.

About SeeHere.com
Fujifilm’s SeeHere.com photo printing, sharing, storage and gifting website is unlike other photo sites, offering unmatched freedom of expression and creativity for designing photo products and sharing images. SeeHere.com is a corporate sponsor of Homes for Our Troops, a non-profit organization that builds specially-adapted homes for severely injured veterans. As part of its sponsorship, SeeHere.com donates $2.00 from the sale of all travel mugs, totebags and hooded sweatshirts including those specially designed with the Homes For Our Troops logo, to the organization.  (www.seehere.com)

About Homes for Our Troops
Homes for Our Troops is a national non-profit 501(c) 3 organization based in Taunton, MA, and founded by John Gonsalves in 2004  to benefit severely injured Veterans and service members.  (www.homesforourtroops.org)

The Homes for Our Troops mission is to provide free of charge, specially adapted homes for severely injured veterans who have suffered life-altering injuries in the combat theatre since September 11, 2001; and is made possible with support from professional trades people, community minded volunteers, generous individuals, foundations and corporate contributors like Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, Mastic Home Exteriors, DaVinci Roofscapes, Fypon Inc, Hy-Lite/US Glass Block, Phil Mickelson’s Birdies for the Brave, PGA Tour Charities, Singer/Songwriter Billy Joel, the Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins Community Foundation and SeeHere.com – Fujifilm’s online photo printing, sharing, storage and gifting website.

The organization has completed over 55 specially adapted home building projects and typically has 30 homes in various stages of construction throughout the United States each year.  It takes approximately six months to complete a home once ground has been broken to the presentation of the keys to the veteran.  The average cost of each home is about $330,000 depending upon location.

An eligible Veteran or service member may receive a Veterans Administration Specially Adapted Housing Grant up to a maximum amount of $63,780.  Homes for Our Troops’ assistance covers all costs over and above this grant and works closely with the VA to ensure that when our resources are combined, the home is provided at no cost to the recipient.

Homes for Our Troops is proud to be listed in the American Institute of Philanthropy’s top rated Veterans & Military Charities where it enjoys an A rating.  It has received a Four Star Rating from Charity Navigator and is a proud member of the NAHB and the US Green Building Council.

About Fujifilm
FUJIFILM North America Corporation, a marketing subsidiary of FUJIFILM Corporation, consists of four operating divisions and a subsidiary company. The Imaging Division sells consumer and commercial photographic products and services including film, one-time-use cameras, online photo services and fulfillment, digital printing equipment and service. The Electronic Imaging Division markets consumer digital cameras. The Motion Picture Division provides motion picture film and the Graphic Systems Division supplies products and services to the printing industry. FUJIFILM Canada Inc. markets a range of Fujifilm products and services. For more information, please visit www.fujifilm.com/northamerica, or go to www.twitter.com/fujifilmus to follow Fujifilm on Twitter. To receive news and information direct from Fujifilm via RSS, subscribe at www.fujifilmusa.com/rss.

FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, brings continuous innovation and leading-edge products to a broad spectrum of industries, including electronic imaging, digital printing equipment, medical systems, life sciences, graphic arts, flat panel display materials, and office products, based on a vast portfolio of digital, optical, fine chemical and thin film coating technologies. The company was among the top 20 companies around the world granted U.S. patents in 2009, and in the year ended March 31, 2010, had global revenues of $23.5 billion*. Fujifilm is committed to environmental stewardship and good corporate citizenship.  For more information, please visit www.fujifilmholdings.com.
* At an exchange rate of 93 yen to the dollar.

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