eBay AUCTION TO TAKE PLACE DURING OLYMPUS FASHION WEEK

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New York, NY (September 7, 2005) - Betsey Johnson, Carmen Marc Valvo, Carolina Herrera, Harry Belafonte, Heatherette, Heidi Klum, Kenneth Cole, Lauren Bush, Michael Kors, Oscar de la Renta, Patricia Field, Perry Farrell, Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, Venus Williams, Vivica A. Fox, and Zac Posen are among the celebrities supporting the Entertainment Industry Foundation's National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance (EIF's NCCRA) by signing one-of-a-kind photographic portraits that will be auctioned on eBay during Olympus Fashion Week. The auction is the latest in a series of initiatives by the fashion industry supporting the work NCCRA co-founder Katie Couric, Olympus and the entertainment industry are doing to generate awareness and funds for colon cancer research.

The auction is accessible at www.ebay.com/olympus and launches at the opening of Olympus Fashion Week on Friday, September 9, at 10am. Bidding closes on Monday, September 19, at 10am. In addition to eBay, the portraits will be on display under the tents at Bryant Park in New York City throughout Fashion Week.

Taken by acclaimed photographer and Olympus Visionary Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, the images are of the personalities - celebrities, designers, fashionistas- who make Olympus Fashion Week a world-renowned event. The portraits were shot during Olympus Fashion Week in February 2005 in a studio created especially for Timothy backstage at the Bryant Park tents. Greenfield-Sanders, one of the most renowned portrait photographers of his generation, used an Olympus E-1 all digital SLR camera to capture the personality of each of his subjects.

This public service effort, which engages support from the fashion, entertainment and photography industries, is part of the long-term campaign Be Seen, Be Screened. The campaign created by Olympus and EIF's NCCRA was launched in February 2004 to educate Americans, especially women, about colorectal cancer, the #2 cancer killer of women and men combined, causing more than 55,000 deaths a year. Colorectal cancer is often preventable and 90 percent curable if detected early. Women significantly underestimate their risk for colon cancer and are not as concerned about the disease as they should be, classifying it as a "men's disease."

To support the cause, trendsetters worldwide can bid on a one-of-a-kind autographed portrait of their favorite designer or celebrity many of which are seen for the first time within the auction. Each winning bidder will receive a new Stylus Digital 600 camera with their signed 17"x20" framed portrait. In addition to www.ebay.com/olympus, the auction will be accessible on, www.olympusfashionweek.com and www.eif.nccra.org.

Olympus and EIF's NCCRA joint campaign began in February 2004 when Olympus became title sponsor of NY Fashion Week. The biannual Olympus Fashion Week continues to serve as a platform to inspire the fashion industry to support this important, life-saving cause. The campaign has included celebrity public service announcements, educational displays within designer boutiques and department stores, press conferences, fund raising auctions and celebrity/fashion-driven events.

About EIF's National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance
NCCRA is dedicated to the eradication of colon cancer by promoting education about the importance of early medical screening and funding cutting-edge research to develop better tests, treatments and ultimately, a cure. NCCRA was co-founded in March of 2000 by journalist Katie Couric, cancer activist Lilly Tartikoff, and the Entertainment Industry Foundation. For more information, visit www.EIFoundation.org.

About the Entertainment Industry Foundation
As the philanthropic leader of the entertainment industry, the Entertainment Industry Foundation has distributed hundreds of millions of dollars - and provided countless volunteer hours - to support charitable initiatives addressing some of the most critical issues facing society today. For more information, visit www.eifoundation.org.

About Olympus
Olympus is a precision technology leader, designing and delivering innovative solutions in healthcare and consumer electronics worldwide.

Olympus works collaboratively with its customers and its parent company, Tokyo-based Olympus Corporation, to leverage R&D investment in precision technology and manufacturing processes across diverse business lines. These include: