Aptil 5, 2005

MIAMI, Fla., (April 1, 2005) -- Karim Atash, of Miami, won a 2006 Mercedes-Benz ML350 sport utility vehicle in a grand prize drawing tonight during the Mercedes-Benz ACE for a Cure event to benefit the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.  The event took place at the Mercedes-Benz Lifestyle Center at the NASDAQ-100 Open at the Crandon Park Tennis Center.

As part of the activities, Nick Buoniconti, the former Miami Dolphins linebacker and one of the creators of the Miami Project, presented Mercedes-Benz with its exclusive “Miami Project Spinal Award,” for the company’s support for the program.  The award is presented only to special donors who have shown outstanding support for the Project’s goal of finding more effective treatments and a possible cure for paralysis.  The Mercedes-Benz ACE for a Cure raised more than $150,000.00 for the Miami Project.

“I called my wife tonight and told her I won a Mercedes and she thought I was joking,” said Atash, who purchased five of the 1,500 tickets that sold for $100 each to raise money for the Miami Project.  “Of course, it is April Fool’s Day so I guess she had reason to doubt me.  This was just icing on the cake though.  I didn’t think my chances of winning were very good.  The cause was very good, though, to help cure paralysis.”

The winning ticket was drawn by tennis superstar Serena Williams, who was personally showcasing her newest fashions at the Mercedes-Benz ACE for a Cure event to help raise funds and awareness for the spinal cord injury research programs at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.

Based at the University of Miami School of Medicine, The Miami Project is the world’s largest, most comprehensive research center dedicated to finding more effective treatments and, ultimately, a cure for paralysis that results from spinal cord injury.  The research center’s team of scientists is comprised of experts from around the world whose knowledge relates directly to the problem of spinal cord injury and whose full-time focus is spinal cord injury research.

Darius Kadivar

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