An elegant ceremony took place in the Golden Hall of the newly-built Russian

An elegant ceremony took place in the Golden Hall of the newly-built Russian

Embassy in Seoul.  It was hosted by a hospitable Russian Ambassador to South

Korea, Mr. Teimuraz Ramishvili, an old friend of Natasha Owen, and a strong

advocate and supporter of the Children of Russia Foundation.

This moving event was dedicated to the presentation of a check for $100,000.

by LG

Electronics to the Chair and Founder of Children of Russia, Mrs. Natasha

Owen, to help with the construction of a Rehabilitation Center for Children

with Cancer and Blood Diseases in Vladivostok, by the President of LG

Electronics Trade Union, Mr. Jang Soek Chun .   This was an unprecedented

gesture of goodwill and compassion, as $50,000. from the total donation of

$100,000. was allocated from the Trade Union Fund.

The ceremony was also attended by the Senior Vice-President of LG

Electronics, Mr. Kim Young-Ki;   the President of LG Electronics for Russia

and CIS, Mr. Kyoung Hoon Byun;  and other top officials of LG Electronics,

Korea.   They were joined by the senior diplomats from the Russian Embassy

and the media.   After emotional speeches were delivered by the ceremony

participants, Natasha Owen presented the company with the painting "Sunset"

by 9-year-old Anastasia Motriy from Vladivostok.

In his address the Russian Ambassador, Mr. Teimuraz Ramishvili, thanked LG

Electronics for their generous donation and expresssed his hope that the

Foundation will find new friends who will make the dream of the Center come

true.  The Korean friends confirmed their commitment to help with the

project in future by giving in-kind donations once the Center is built.  The

present donation is a gesture of sympathy and a beautiful manifestation of

what people of goodwill from different countries can do together for a

better future of their children.

The event at the Russian Embassy was preceded by Mr. Kyong Hoong Byon's

visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow at the invitation of

Ambassador  E.  Afanasyev, the Head of the 1st Asian Department, to give him

a letter from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Mr.

I. Ivanov, expressing his appreciation for the decision by LG Electronics to

help with the construction of the Center.  This donation became possible,

thanks to the efforts of the Russian Ambassador to South Korea, Mr. T.

Ramishvili;   The Korean Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Mr. Suk-Won Tae;  Deputy

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Ambassador A. Losyukov;  and the

Korean Ambassador to Russia, Mr. Chung Tae-ik.

Ludmila Finney,

Vice-President of Children of Russia Foundation