Tag: 3BL

Franklin Templeton once again demonstrated its commitment to community service through its 19th annual Impact Days, a global initiative that unites employees in volunteerism and philanthropy.

This year, more than 1,000 employees around the world showed their generous spirit completing 117 volunteer projects. From distributing school bags to children or preparing and serving meals to supporting organizations like Habitat for Humanity, volunteers made a visible impact while reaffirming their commitment to service.

June was exciting, and there are many great stories to share. This article covers global initiatives only. 

Missing Maps Project

Franklin Templeton employees participated in the ninth annual Missing Maps project, a virtual global volunteer opportunity to map areas missing from maps, which helps disaster relief efforts. Franklin Templeton donated to Save the Children for each participant who logged at least 60 minutes of mapping in June.

Global CAN Competition

The annual food drive and CANstruction competition brought creativity and generosity together, with employees from nine locations collecting over 4,000 cans and other dry food items. Teams built sculptures from the donations, with Short Hills, NJ office winning the photo contest for their “Ben’s Diner” sculpture and Mexico City winning the video contest with their rendition of the Angel of Independence. Each winning team received a donation to a local charitable organization of choice.

Andrew Kleinwaks from Short Hills shared, “Each year we try to raise the bar—not just to challenge other offices, but to challenge ourselves. The bigger our structure, the greater the benefit for the recipient of our CANstruction materials.”

The firm’s annual fitness charity challenge saw 305 employees from 79 teams log over 44 million steps to raise funds for a meaningful cause. Together we walked an incredible 44,487,794 steps—totaling approximately 21,064 miles (33,899 km). That is roughly the distance from New York City to Tokyo and back—twice! To honor the dedication of employees, Franklin Templeton donated to Save the Children in recognition of this achievement.

Freerice Challenge

Additionally, employees participated in the Freerice online trivia challenge, donating over 2.29 million grains of rice through the World Food Program.

Global Involved Day

Impact Days concluded on June 24 with Global Involved Day, where employees proudly wore their volunteer T-shirts to celebrate a month of meaningful service. From Poznan to Kuala Lumpur, the spirit of giving and community was evident across the globe.

About Franklin Templeton
Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE: BEN] is a global investment management organization with subsidiaries operating as Franklin Templeton and serving clients in over 150 countries. Franklin Templeton’s mission is to help clients achieve better outcomes through investment management expertise, wealth management and technology solutions. Through its specialist investment managers, the company offers specialization on a global scale, bringing extensive capabilities in fixed income, equity, alternatives, and multi-asset solutions. With more than 1,500 investment professionals, and offices in major financial markets around the world, the California-based company has over 75 years of investment experience and $1.6 trillion in assets under management as of June 30, 2025. For more information, please visit franklintempleton.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Originally published on Tork Newscenter

Tork, an Essity brand, has achieved a significant milestone with an estimated 1.2 billion people in 2024 traveling through buildings that use the Tork Vision Cleaning data-driven cleaning technology. Tork Vision Cleaning utilizes real-time data to optimize restroom cleaning operations, while ensuring that hygiene and customer satisfaction are prioritized. Up to 40% of cleaning time in offices and large venues is spent on the restroom¹.

This milestone is reached as Tork Vision Cleaning celebrates 10 years since launch. At that time, it was a true pioneer for the cleaning industry, leading the way in introducing such digital solutions. Using the Internet of Things sensors in restroom dispensers and people counters, notify cleaners when dispensers require refills and how many users have entered a restroom, signaling when it’s time to clean. Businesses using this technology report that dispensers are full 99% of the time. Currently, Tork has more than 100,000 connected devices that send more than 1.3 million messages a day to cleaners working with Tork Vision Cleaning.

Restrooms are often the busiest rooms in a building with 82% of people saying they visit the restroom at least 2-3 times per typical workday². They are also a significant concern for facility managers, being the single biggest source of complaints in office buildings³. Maintaining good hygiene standards for employees is an important consideration for business success. Managers say they have reduced complaints by 75% as a result of using Tork Vision Cleaning, 68% say they improved efficiency and 97% report improvements in hygiene within their facilities⁴.

“Tork Vision Cleaning is a technology that meets today’s expectations for digital connectivity across facilities. With the number of ‘smart’ connected buildings increasing, this solution has the direct market experience to provide data that empowers cleaners, reduces restroom user complaints and increases cleaning efficiency,” said Pablo Fuentes, president of Essity’s global Professional Hygiene business. “That’s why we are seeing a growing demand for Tork Vision Cleaning, especially in high-traffic spaces like airports, stadiums and in large office buildings.”

For facility management companies, Tork Vision Cleaning can bring added value to their operations. The Facilities Management Director of a large corporate headquarters building in Paris managed by Sodexo, shares how they have successfully installed and operated the digital technology from Tork.

“Implementing Tork Vision Cleaning has transformed our operations for Sodexo at a big Parisian headquarters. Initially, at this site, we aimed to optimize our cleaning teams’ productivity in the high-traffic event areas. When Tork Vision Cleaning was installed in part of the site, we saw complaints continue to come from areas without Tork Vision Cleaning. Extending the solution across the entire site with 1,300 devices led to up to 90% fewer complaints, significant time savings for cleaning staff, and improved service quality. Our client is in the technology sector, always on the lookout for innovation, even in cleaning and facility management. The Tork solution, seen as the leader in connected cleaning, is ideal for this client. This technology reduces staff stress and enhances the overall user experience.

The Tork brand is the global leader in professional hygiene, offering dispensing systems, refills for hand towels, toilet paper, soap and sanitizers, napkins and wipers for use in commercial environments like office buildings, restaurants, passenger terminals, stadiums, healthcare facilities and manufacturing sites.

Five of the world’s busiest airports now use the data-driven cleaning technology from Tork⁶. One in three people who avoid using airport restrooms also limit how much they spend to eat and drink in the airport – an important revenue source for airports⁵. Airport operators are also reporting a rise in cleaning staff vacancies and one in four anticipate recruitment challenges for cleaning staff. Tork Vision Cleaning provides data to airports that enables them to direct cleaning staff to the restrooms that are most used and in need of cleaning, and to divert staff from less visited restrooms, ensuring the places people use the most are clean and fully stocked with hygiene products.

To learn more about Tork Vision Cleaning, visit torkglobal.com/us/en/visioncleaning

¹BCG IoT discussion, 2024 

²Data from the 2024 Tork Insights Survey of 6,000 individuals 18-65+ and 900 respondents representing businesses in the United States, Mexico, UK, Germany and France.
³Statista: North America; Average across 2017 to 2021; 185 respondents; Building service contractors/commercial cleaning providers.
⁴Based on survey results conducted in November/December 2023 of 69 managers using Tork Vision Cleaning in 18 countries globally.
⁵IPSOS survey of 3,000 people who had recently visited a high-traffic venue in the USA, UK, Germany, France, Poland or Sweden, conducted in 2016.
⁶Based on Airports Council International (ACI) July 2024 total passenger data.

For additional information please contact: FHTork@fleishman.com

About Tork
The Tork brand offers professional hygiene products and services to customers worldwide ranging from restaurants and healthcare facilities to offices, schools and industries. Our products include dispensers, paper towels, toilet tissues, soap, napkins and wipers, but also software solutions for data-driven cleaning. Through expertise in hygiene, functional design and sustainability, Tork has become a market leader that supports customers to think ahead so they’re always ready for business. Tork is a global brand of Essity and a committed partner to customers in more than 110 countries. To keep up with the latest Tork news and innovations, please visit www.torkglobal.com/us/en/.

About Essity
Essity is a global, leading hygiene and health company. Every day, our products, solutions and services are used by a billion people around the world. Our purpose is to break barriers to well-being for the benefit of consumers, patients, caregivers, customers and society. Sales are conducted in approximately 150 countries under the leading global brands TENA and Tork, and other strong brands such as Actimove, Cutimed, JOBST, Knix, Leukoplast, Libero, Libresse, Lotus, Modibodi, Nosotras, Saba, Tempo, TOM Organic and Zewa. In 2024, Essity had net sales of approximately SEK 146bn (EUR 13bn) and employed 36,000 people. The company’s headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden and Essity is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. More information at essity.com.

Published by Action Against Hunger.

Please contact media@actionagainsthunger.org for inquiries.

NEW YORK and JERUSALEM, July 30, 2025 /3BL/ – The latest data from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirms the worst-case scenario in Gaza: famine indicator thresholds have been reached in most of the Gaza Strip. Since April, more than 20,000 children have been hospitalized for acute malnutrition. At least 16 children under the age of five have died from hunger-related causes since 17 July, and 3,000 more are in critical condition.

For months now, Action Against Hunger teams on the ground have been witnessing the calamity. “Famine is not just a statistic. It is the result of a slow and painful process that shrinks organs, collapses the immune system, and impairs cognitive abilities,” explains Natalia Anguera, Action Against Hunger’s Head of Operations for the Middle East. “Every day that passes without full and safe access to food, we are condemning thousands of people to avoidable suffering.”

In July, more than 25% of pregnant and breastfeeding women assessed by Action Against Hunger teams were malnourished, representing a 16% increase from the previous month. According to OCHA, nearly 100% of children between 6 and 23 months and pregnant and breastfeeding women are unable to meet basic nutritional needs. As a result, 300,000 children under five and 150,000 women urgently need therapeutic nutritional support.

“The first thing I saw when I entered Gaza was destroyed buildings and areas with no signs of life,” said one technical specialist in Gaza. “In the displacement camps, children collected food in silence, avoided eye contact and retreated to their tents, trying to protect what dignity they had left in a situation that had taken so much from them.”

Humanitarian Access, Not Logistics, Is the Barrier 

“No new aid delivery model will work — not a dock, not an air drop, not an isolated center — unless the siege is lifted completely and permanently,” Anguera emphasized. “Humanitarian access is the problem, not logistics,”

Without full access, aid will remain insufficient. The little aid that does arrive is often unsuitable because it requires fuel and clean water for preparation, both of which are virtually non-existent in the Strip. Anguera adds that “Current distribution points are far away, dangerous to reach, and operate on a first-come-first-served basis, which excludes the most vulnerable.”

Families in Gaza resorted to extreme coping strategies months ago, such as skipping meals, rationing bread, borrowing food, begging, and scavenging through rubbish. But these strategies are no longer done to stretch resources — they are done as desperate acts of survival.

Action Against Hunger’s Response Amid Scarcity 

Despite facing severe hunger and danger, Action Against Hunger staff continue to operate in the Gaza Strip, providing critical care to thousands of women and children. Nearly 400 children under five are currently receiving treatment for malnutrition in our clinics, the highest caseload since the conflict began.

Critical supplies for treating malnutrition are scarce. Therapeutic foods, supplements for infants, and micronutrients for pregnant women are running out. “A trickle of aid is not enough to sustain a population of two million people who have been on the brink of famine for almost two years,” says Natalia Anguera. “We need all administrative barriers to the import of goods to be removed, all borders to be open and operational, and access to all areas of the Gaza Strip to be allowed.”

A Call for Immediate and Unrestricted Action 

Action Against Hunger reiterates its commitment to initiatives which facilitate impartial, rapid, and evidence-based humanitarian action that reaches the people who need it most.

Action Against Hunger calls on all parties to:

• Secure an immediate and permanent ceasefire and release of hostages.
• Ensure safe, regular and unrestricted access for humanitarian aid at all points across and within the Gaza Strip.
• Fully reopen border crossings and corridors, including the restoration of commercial goods flows.
• Give assurance of a humanitarian response system led by the UN and independent organizations.

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Action Against Hunger leads the global movement to end hunger. We innovate solutions, advocate for change, and reach 21 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across over 55 countries, our 8,900 dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. We strive to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good.

HAMILTON, Bermuda, July 30, 2025 /3BL/ – Family-owned spirits company Bacardi has partnered with recycling company, Reciclaje del Norte, and the Municipality of Cataño, to launch a glass recycling program for businesses in the area surrounding its BACARDĺ rum distillery in Puerto Rico.

The new initiative which launched in May, sees the weekly collection of spirits bottles from participating bars and restaurants in the Cataño Bay area. The collected glass is then crushed and reused to produce building blocks.

To date, more than 1.3 tons of glass has been collected through the scheme, making an important contribution to reducing glass waste in landfill, and at the same time helping raise awareness of the importance of recycling in Puerto Rico.

“As a family-owned business, we believe strongly in doing the right thing by giving back to our local community and helping protect the environment in Cataño,” said Magaly Feliciano, Global Sustainability Director at Bacardi, who is based in Puerto Rico. “We’re so proud of this project as it’s a perfect example of how we can work together to make a meaningful difference.”

The mayor of Cataño, Julio Alicea Vasallo, said “This fantastic glass recycling program is not just another initiative; it is an innovative effort that involves and includes our businesses in Cataño Bay in the construction of an economy where waste is not waste, but an opportunity for something more.”

He continues, “Every bottle we recycle today contributes to building a stronger Cataño tomorrow. This program shows that, with perseverance and strategic partnerships, we can help protect our environment for generations to come.”

This initiative is just one way in which Bacardi is giving back to the local community and reducing the impact of its production on the environment, with other actions including switching from oil to gas at its distillery to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reusing water to cool stills which saves millions of gallons of water every year. Recognizing its efforts to protect the local bat population in Puerto Rico, the Bacardi site also holds Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) Certification – the only organization to do so on the island.

For more on the Good Spirited actions Bacardi is taking to protect People & Planet, visit www.bacardilimited.com/CS.

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From powering our customers’ homes to supporting pollinators that live in our rights-of-way, we’re always proud to help brighten our communities.

We are honored to be recognized as a Monarch Conservation Partner by the University of Illinois Chicago for our efforts to support Monarch Butterfly habitats in 2024.

Learn more about the work we’re doing to support and protect New Jersey’s wildlife at http://spr.ly/604245ilm

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BUFFALO, N.Y., July 30, 2025 /3BL/ — KeyBank (NYSE: KEY) and the Buffalo Sabres today announced a 10-year extension of their arena naming rights deal. The contract, which is set to begin in 2026-27, will keep the KeyBank Center name in place through the 2035-36 season. KeyBank is the official and exclusive bank of the Buffalo Sabres.

“We are thankful for the support of KeyBank over the course of the last decade and look forward to the continued relationship with such a valued partner of the Buffalo Sabres,” said Sabres Owner, CEO and President Terry Pegula. “We take great pride in our home arena bearing the name of an organization with such strong roots in the Western New York community and feel this partnership will continue to drive community impact for many years to come.”

“We are thrilled to build upon our partnership with the Buffalo Sabres. This is an investment in Buffalo and reflects our commitment to this community,” said KeyCorp Chairman and CEO Chris Gorman. “KeyBank and the Sabres will continue to drive Buffalo forward, creating opportunities and delivering on our purpose: to help our clients and communities thrive. We believe in Buffalo’s future and are proud to carry it forward — together.”

In addition to the arena naming rights, the longstanding partnership between the Sabres and KeyBank will introduce KeyBank as the team’s away helmet sponsor starting in the 2025-26 season. KeyBank’s collaboration with the Sabres dates back to 2015 and reinforces the commitment of both organizations to the Western New York community.

KeyBank and the Buffalo Sabres’ dedication to giving back to the city of Buffalo and the greater Western New York region will continue with the introduction of the HocKey Assists Community Program. The mission of HocKey Assists is to inspire pride and possibility in the Western New York community. Through initiatives focused on education, small business growth and neighborhood engagement, this community program will empower and support youth, put a spotlight on local entrepreneurs and their journeys, and bring people together through impactful programs that make a lasting difference in the neighborhoods we call home.

“KeyBank and the Sabres both believe that when our community thrives, we all thrive,” said KeyBank Buffalo Market President Mike McMahon. “That’s why we are excited to launch our new HocKey Assists initiative which aims to empower youth, uplift local entrepreneurs, and unite communities through impactful, grassroots programs. As we celebrate KeyBank’s bicentennial, our partnership with the Sabres is a symbol of our commitment to making a difference in Buffalo and all of the communities we call home.”

“Creating a community hub remains a core aspect of our mission at KeyBank Center,” said Buffalo Sabres COO Pete Guelli. “We see tremendous value in KeyBank Center serving as a gathering place in our city and nothing exemplifies this more than the KeyBank commitment. Additionally, KeyBank Center holds the unique ability to impact and drive economic growth in downtown Buffalo that can create a lasting impact in the community. Tied in with the HocKey Assists program, this partnership stands to benefit our community in immeasurable ways.”

As part of the continued partnership, KeyBank customers will enjoy exclusive benefits when attending games, concerts and events at KeyBank Center starting during the 2026-27 hockey season. The partnership extension was negotiated with the help of Excel Consulting Services, an industry-leading management and marketing agency.

ABOUT KEYCORP 
In 2025, KeyCorp celebrates its bicentennial, marking 200 years of service to clients and communities from Maine to Alaska. To learn more, visit KeyBank Heritage Center. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $185 billion at June 30, 2025.

Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,200 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank Member FDIC.

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July 30, 2025 /3BL/ -Southwire was founded in 1950 with the goal of bringing electric light to people who needed it. In 2025, as we celebrate the 75-year history of our company, we are pleased to mark the occasion with our annual sustainability report.

“Throughout 2025, we are taking the time to honor our legacy, celebrate our successes and drive excitement for the future,” said Rich Stinson, President and CEO of Southwire. “We are proud of our accomplishments in Southwire’s first 75 years and look forward to leading the charge in sustainable innovation and electrification for generations to come.”

The latest sustainability report celebrates Southwire’s progress toward its goals across the company’s five core tenets of sustainability, including:

Growing Green – Southwire reached a 65.2% reduction of Scope 1 and 2 emissions from a 2018 baseline, using various market-based methods. The company is transitioning away from its previous Carbon Zero goal to near-term science-based targets, recently validated by the Science Based Targets initiative.

Living Well – Through our efforts to build a world-class safety culture, we achieved a record low total recordable incident rate (TRIR) of 0.65, exceeding our target of 0.68 in 2024.

Giving Back – We engaged 92% of our local communities with at least two annual volunteer events in 2024. Southwire also celebrated the 20th anniversary of its Back to School giving efforts.

Doing Right – For the second year in a row, Southwire was named to Ethisphere’s World’s Most Ethical Companies^® list.

Building Worth – Southwire expanded its sustainable innovation partnerships, including a project with Levidian to capture carbon from methane and investments into the next generation of smart power solutions through Southwire Technology Ventures.

“The world is changing, and we’re evolving with it, from exploring the decarbonization of cable production to embracing new technologies such as artificial intelligence,” said Burt Fealing, Southwire’s EVP, General Counsel and Chief Sustainability Officer. “Through it all, hard work, collaboration and innovation keep us rooted in who we are – a company making a difference for this generation and the next.”

In addition to the 2024 Sustainability Report, Southwire is proud to present our 2024 Sustainability Fact Sheet, which provides an overview of the company’s progress toward our goals and key accomplishments throughout 2024.

To view Southwire’s 2024 Sustainability Report and 2024 Sustainability Fact Sheet, visit www.southwire.com/sustainability. For more Southwire news, visit www.southwire.com/newsroom. 

World-class equipment, technology and services company, CNH, announced a partnership with the Innovation Park of the City of Buenos Aires, a technological, educational and scientific hub that promotes collaboration between companies, startups, universities and research centers.

This initiative is part of CNH’s ongoing commitment to open innovation and link with strategic ecosystems in Latin America, especially those aimed at strengthening the agribusiness sector.

“At CNH, we believe in open innovation as a way to generate value in the market. This alliance allows us to expand our connections with a diverse and valuable ecosystem, which reinforces our goal of providing solutions in key areas such as productivity, sustainability, technology and management,” said Paulo Máximo, Innovation Leader for Latin America.

The Innovation Park aims to foster a dynamic and collaborative environment for the development of high-impact solutions such as in agribusiness, biotechnology, energy, artificial intelligence and sustainable mobility.

With more than 65% of its surface area dedicated to green spaces, the venue combines modern infrastructure, public art and urban connectivity.

The Park also promotes innovative projects such as the first electric autonomous collective in Latin America and has the active participation of leading universities such as the UBA, ITBA, UTN and the Torcuato Di Tella University.

Read the full story here.

AEG employees came together to make every mile count at the 2025 Long Beach Legacy Triathlon, raising more than $16,000 in support of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA). The funds will help advance research and treatment for children fighting cancer, bringing hope to countless families across the region.

This year’s AEG Tri Team included more than 25 employees from across the company, representing AXS, Ontario Reign, Crypto.com Arena, Peacock Theater, LA Kings, LA Galaxy, AEG Presents, Corporate, and Dignity Health Sports Park. For nearly 10 of them, it was their first time competing in a triathlon—a major personal milestone. In an impressive show of determination, every single participant crossed the finish line.

“Everyone joins for different reasons and brings different levels of experience, but we’re all in it together,” said Anette Padilla, Senior Director, Community Foundation, AEG. “My favorite part of being on the Tri Team—aside from racing for a great cause—is building connections with coworkers from across the business. Year after year, it’s incredibly special to share the sport I love with my teammates.”

Over the past 11 years, the AEG Tri Team has raised nearly $200,000 for CHLA, with this year’s contributions bringing them just $5,000 shy of that milestone. More than just a race, the triathlon was a celebration of what’s possible when passion meets purpose. With every swim stroke, pedal, and stride, the AEG Tri Team not only pushed themselves physically, but made a tangible difference in the lives of children in need.

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, the official charity partner of the 2025 Long Beach Legacy Triathlon, is a nationally ranked pediatric academic medical center the provides more than 600,000 patient visits annually. Collectively, participants raised more than $715,000 on CHLA’s behalf this year—underscoring the incredible impact made when a community comes together in support of a shared cause. To learn more about CHLA click here.

 

Originally published on July 14, 2025 on LinkedIn.

Sysco stands with Texas Hill Country. Over the July 4th weekend, catastrophic flooding swept through the region, devastating Kerr County and surrounding areas. There has been tragic loss of life, families displaced, and communities forever changed. Our hearts are with everyone affected.

We’ve seen an extraordinary response from our Central Texas teams and community partners who have quickly mobilized to provide meals, water, and relief to those in urgent need. From delivering over 100 pallets of food and water to coordinating disaster response with local organizations, Sysco remains committed to showing up for our communities.

If you’d like to join us in assisting Food and Beverage workers affected by this disaster, please consider donating here: https://southernsmoke.givingpage.org/texas-hill-country-relief. Sysco has committed to match $15k of donations received. 

To our incredible colleagues who’ve shown up in every way—from making deliveries through road closures to joining search efforts—thank you. Recovery will take time, and we’re committed to being there every step of the way, the Sysco way.

About Sysco

Sysco is the global leader in selling, marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other customers who prepare meals away from home. Its family of products also includes equipment and supplies for the foodservice and hospitality industries. With more than 76,000 colleagues, the company operates 340 distribution facilities worldwide and serves approximately 730,000 customer locations. For fiscal year 2024 that ended June 29, 2024, the company generated sales of more than $78 billion. Information about our Sustainability program, including Sysco’s 2023 Sustainability Report and 2023 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report, can be found at www.sysco.com.

 For more information, visit www.sysco.com or connect with Sysco on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SyscoFoods. For important news and information regarding Sysco, visit the Investor Relations section of the company’s Internet home page at investors.sysco.com, which Sysco plans to use as a primary channel for publishing key information to its investors, some of which may contain material and previously non-public information. In addition, investors should continue to review our news releases and filings with the SEC. It is possible that the information we disclose through any of these channels of distribution could be deemed to be material information.

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