Microsoft Encarta Teams Up With U.S. Postal Service’s Celebrate the Century Program to Honor Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts
REDMOND, Wash., Feb. 2, 1998 — Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia and the U.S. Postal Service honor the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts today at the Celebrate the Century stamp unveiling. The event brings dignitaries and 100 Seattle-area Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts to the Seattle Center Pavilion from 10 a.m. to noon to see the first public appearance of the “Scouting” stamp, the 29th of 30 stamps being unveiled in the Celebrate the Century program, a U.S. Postal Service campaign commemorating the most significant events, people, places and trends of the 20th century.
“Microsoft Encarta is excited to team up with the USPS,” said Craig Bartholomew, general manager of the reference business unit at Microsoft Corp. “The Celebrate the Century stamps portray various images of American history. As the official encyclopedia of the Celebrate the Century program, Encarta Encyclopedia lets children learn more about the topics commemorated by the stamps. We’re delighted to be associated with the program and the historic scout stamp unveiling in Seattle.”
“Microsoft Encarta is a perfect fit for the Celebrate the Century program because of its rich content and educational value,” said Craig Wade, USPS western area vice president. “The U.S. Postal Service has designed this program to not only commemorate the most significant people, places, events and trends in history, but to promote education about these 20th century topics. Microsoft’s participation is key in those endeavors.”
During today’s celebration, two exemplary Scouts will be on hand to describe their scouting experiences and unveil the new postage stamp. They will also announce one Girl Scout and one Boy Scout as the winners in the USPS/Microsoft Encarta Online History Sweepstakes. During January, Scouts nationwide were invited to enter the sweepstakes and play an online history game that incorporated questions using subject matter drawn from the Celebrate the Century program. The two grand-prize winners will each receive a trip for a family of four to the nation’s capital and headquarters of the U.S. Postal Service. Additional prizes, including Celebrate the Century commemorative stamps and Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia CD-ROM software, will be awarded by mail to the first- and second-place winners.
In addition to the ceremony and stamp unveiling, attending Scouts will participate in an on-site scavenger hunt and be entertained by David Sidoni, known by children for his appearances on Nickelodeon and as the current host of the popular “Wheel 2000” children’s show.
The first segment of the Celebrate the Century program, commemorating the years 1900-1909 and 1910-1919, will culminate in a final unveiling of the 30th stamp on Feb. 3, in Washington, D.C. The 30 stamps will then be available in two collectible stamp sheets from post offices nationwide.
The Encarta Encyclopedia is the world’s best-selling encyclopedia in any medium and winner of more than 50 awards for best reference program on CD-ROM. The essential reference resource for families, Encarta enables children to learn about the vast history and culture of the world through top-quality editorial content, innovative multimedia and links to the Internet.
Beginning Feb. 1, 1998, customers who acquire Encarta 98 Encyclopedia, Encarta Encyclopedia Deluxe or the Encarta 98 Reference Suite in the United States and Canada are eligible to receive a $20 (U.S.) or $30 (Canadian) mail-in rebate through resellers nationwide with appropriate proofs of purchase.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
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