EROES o Give Thanks America (NAPSA)—To honor those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, as well as men and women in uniform whofight terror, a permanent high-tech Give Thanks America memorial kiosk has been opened in the main lobby of the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. At the kiosk, visitors can view archives of video e-mail messages of thanks and support sent by thousands of Americans to military troops and others in uniform. Give Thanks America is a non- profit program created last December. Since its inception, the program has appeared in more than 100 cities with some 10,000 messages recorded by military families, firemen, police officers, emergency medical technicians, celebrities, sports figures, politicians and the general public. Give Thanks America grew out of a desire by former Compaq employees to honor the memoryof five employees who were victims of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, and to show support for the military effort. Compaq recently merged with Hewlett-Packard Company. “We’re extraordinarily pleased to share the HP Give Thanks America memorial kiosk with the thousandsof citizens whovisit the Pentagon,” said HP President Michael Capellas. “We believe the heartfelt messages have provided a significant morale boost to Americans in uniform around the world.” Digital video messages recorded by friends and families are edited on an HP Presario 6000 computer using My Movie Studio software. They are sent in compressed video form over the Internet using a Web-casting service provided by Sorenson Media. Messages are stored, managed and delivered through media services provided by Exodus, a Cable & Wireless company. They also are made available for public viewing on wuww.givethanksamerica.com.
