Celebrity Designed Notebook Computers Help Fight Hunger With Style

Sony has invited several A-list celebrities to pick up a paintbrush or glue gun for a good cause.

Jessica Alba, Elijah Wood, Wilmer Valderrama, Mark Ruffalo and hip couple DJ AM and Nicole Richie have all agreed to add their own creative touches to Sony's already stylish VAIO® FJ series notebooks for an online auction to benefit America's Second Harvest -- The Nation's Food Bank Network www.secondharvest.org.

Starting today, these "pimped-out" PCs will be on display at the SonyStyle® store in the Beverly Center mall in Los Angeles. From there, the exhibit will travel across the country, stopping for two weeks at a time, throughout the holiday season, at four SonyStyle stores. The PCs will be in Los Angeles until Nov. 25, at The Galleria in Houston from Nov. 28 until Dec. 9, at the New York City store from Dec.12 until Dec. 24, and in the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas from Dec. 26 until Jan. 9.

From Jan. 9 to Jan. 23, the PCs will be auctioned on eBay www.ebay.com/vaio. All proceeds from the auctions will be donated to America's Second Harvest, a national network of more than 200 food banks that distribute food and grocery products to more than 50,000 charitable agencies located in every county in the U.S.

Funds raised will be matched by Sony Electronics.

"With the help of our celebrity designers we're hoping to draw people to our stores to learn more about VAIO and our commitment to cool design but, more importantly, to focus attention on this cause and the great work that America's Second Harvest is doing," said Mike Abary, vice president of VAIO product marketing for Sony Electronics in the U.S.

"During the holidays when people are enjoying the warmth of friends and family, the fact that there a more than 38 million Americans at risk of hunger becomes even more distressing," said Robert H. Forney, president and CEO of America's Second Harvest. "This is creative way to raise awareness of this critical issue and help make a difference."

FJ Notebooks: Colorful Companions

The artistic inspiration for the celebrity designers is the VAIO FJ notebook. These PCs are available in a variety of fashionable colors to complement almost anyone's individual flair. Onyx Black, Pearl White, Sky Blue, Jade Green and Raspberry Red casings are accented by similar shades on the bezels and palm rests of each PC. The cool colors and thin, lightweight design make this notebook a joy to carry wherever you go.

Sony VAIO FJ notebooks in Onyx Black are available now at national retailers starting at about $1,400. Exclusive colors Pearl White, Raspberry Red, Jade Green and Sky Blue can be purchased online at SonyStyle.com or at SonyStyle stores www.sonystyle.com/retail in select fashion malls around the country.

More information about VAIO FJ PCs is available at www.sony.com/fj. To learn more about the auction, visit www.sony.com/pimpmypc.

America's Second Harvest -- The Nation's Food Bank Network is the nation's largest charitable hunger-relief organization with a Network of more than 200 regional member food banks and food -- rescue programs serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The America's Second Harvest Network secures and distributes nearly two billion pounds of donated food and grocery products annually. The America's Second Harvest Network supports approximately 50,000 local charitable agencies operating more than 94,000 programs including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs, and Kids Cafes. Last year, the America's Second Harvest Network provided food assistance to more than 23 million low-income hungry people in the United States, including more than nine million children and nearly three million seniors. For more information on America's Second Harvest, please visit www.secondharvest.org.

SOURCE: Sony Electronics Inc.

CONTACT: Valerie Motis of Sony Electronics Inc., +1-858-942-8016,
valerie.motis@am.sony.com; or Alex Withrow of Ruder Finn/San Francisco,
+1-415-249-6760, withrowa@ruderfinn.com, for Sony Electronics Inc.

Web site: http://www.sony.com/fj

Web site: http://www.sony.com/pimpmypc

Web site: http://www.sonystyle.com/retail
http://www.secondharvest.org/
http://www.ebay.com/vaio