Monday, December 12, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For further information, please call

Alan Schlaifer at 301-365-8999

Washington, D.C., December 9, 2005: Last December?s Asian tsunami claimed at least 225,000 lives. But one highly vocal survivor, Supermodel Petra Nemcova, has emerged from the death and devastation of that catastrophe not only to describe the tsunami?s impact on her, but also to rally support for aid to the many thousands of children orphaned by that disaster and other victims who managed somehow to escape the death sentence of that disaster.

On Thursday, December 15, 2005, at a luncheon at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Petra Nemcova will recount her terrifying experience during the tsunami, which came without warning. On a perfect sun-kissed morning in a beachfront resort in Thailand, she was packing, getting ready to leave her bungalow, when she heard screams. Suddenly, people were running in all directions as thunderous, ear-splitting noises rent the air. In the next instant, she was fighting for her life.

Like thousands of other people caught up in the tsunami of 2004, Petra and the love of her life, photographer Simon Atlee, had no warning, no last chance to say goodbye as he was swept out to sea. For eight terrifying hours, in excruciating pain from a shattered pelvis, Petra found refuge in the branches of a palm tree. The sun beat down mercilessly as she drifted in and out of consciousness. The world around her was in chaos.?

Now, at this luncheon and in her stirring and poignant memoir, Love Always, Petra, written with Jane Scovell, this courageous young woman tells her moving, unforgettable story.

Her commentary, at the luncheon and in the book, is more than a first-person account of a terrible tragedy. It is also the story of a working-class girl who went from a communist-controlled childhood in Czechoslovakia to the cover of Sports Illustrated; it is the story of a woman and a man falling in love amidst the glittering world of high fashion.

Most of all, it is a story that forcefully illustrates the power of nature to not only change our lives, but also teach us to treasure the gifts of love and life. We can reconcile the power and our gifts by paying homage to those who have perished and by aiding survivors deal with the emotional, physical and financial losses they have suffered.

Following the luncheon, which is from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m., she will sign copies of Love Always, Petra. It is dedicated to Simon Atlee. All of her proceeds from sales of the book are being donated to the Give2Asia/Happy Hearts Fund, a Tsunami Relief Fund.

Members of the press and public are invited. For further information, credentialed press should contact the National Press Club at 202-662-7500.

Individuals and groups that wish to purchase tickets for the luncheon or contribute to the fund just noted may do so online at www.whartondc.com or call 301-365-8999.

Summary:

What: Luncheon and book signing with Supermodel & Tsunami Survivor,

Petra Nemcova

When: Thursday, December 15, 2005

Luncheon: 12:30 to 2 pm, with lunch served for the first half hour

Ms. Nemcova?s comments, followed by Q&A, from 1:00 to 2:00 pm.

Book signing: 2 to 3 pm, only for books purchased at the Press Club.

Where: The National Press Club is at 14th & F Street, N.W., Washington, DC. This luncheon will be held in the Ballroom on the 13th Floor.

Metro: The Club is near Metro?s Metro Center stop.

Cost: Members of the public: $35, inclusive for the luncheon.

You may sign up through the Press Club (202-662-7500) or

online at www.whartondc.com, the website of the

Wharton School Club of Washington, D.C.

# # #