NEW YORK, November 21, 2006  – The Partnership for a Drug-Free America® will honor Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner of Baseball, at a gala to be held on November 27th in the grand ballroom at The Waldorf=Astoria Hotel in New York City. In addition to Commissioner Selig, the Partnership will also recognize Daniel B. Burke (retired president and CEO, Capital Cities/ABC, Inc.), Thomas S. Murphy (chairman and CEO emeritus, Capital Cities/ABC, Inc. and retired member of the board of directors, The Walt Disney Company) and the American Association of Advertising Agencies with Pioneer Awards for their pivotal roles in helping to give birth to the Partnership in 1986.

On January 13, 2005, Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association announced an historic agreement to expand its drug-testing program to include random, year-round testing, immediate discipline, and broader list of banned substances. The new program was the result of a long-term effort by Commissioner Selig to rid the game of illegal steroids and performance enhancing substances.

“We applaud Commissioner Selig for taking on the issue of illegal steroid use in professional baseball,” said Partnership Chairman Roy Bostock. “He and his colleagues have done an enormous amount to promote communication between parents and their children, to educate parents and teens about the dangers of drug use, and to inspire young athletes to play fair and play well.”

ABC News’ Diane Sawyer will serve as mistress of ceremonies for the 20th Anniversary gala. Sawyer, co-anchor of “Good Morning America” and “Primetime Live” is a renowned journalist who has received numerous honors, including two Peabodys and several Emmy® awards.

Chairing the event will be George Bodenheimer, co-chairman of Disney Media Networks and president of ESPN, Inc. and ABC Sports; Anne Sweeney, co-chair, Disney Media Networks, president, Disney-ABC Television Group; Jerry M. Reinsdorf, chairman, Chicago White Sox, chairman, Chicago Bulls; Fred Wilpon, chairman and CEO, New York Mets.

Confirmed gala co-chairs include Roy Bostock, chairman, Partnership for a Drug-Free America; Timothy Brosnan, executive vice president, Major League Baseball; Craig Brown, CEO, Keelers Ridge Associates; Stephen Burke, COO, Comcast Corporation, president, Comcast Cable Communications, Inc.; Harry Clark, managing partner, Stanwich Group, L.L.C.; Ivelisse Estrada, SVP, corporate & community relations, Univision Communications, Inc.; Victor F. Ganzi, president and CEO, Hearst Corporation; Campbell Gerrish, principal, Winged Keel Group, Inc.; Sydney K. Hunsdale, worldwide SVP of finance operations, Avenue A|Razorfish; Carla and Robert Matteucci; Richard Portogallo, managing director, head, US Equities, Morgan Stanley; Mary Lou Quinlan, founder and CEO, Just Ask a Woman; Allen Rosenshine, vice chairman & executive creative director, Partnership for a Drug-Free America, chairman, BBDO Worldwide, Inc.; Adam Silver, president and COO, NBA Entertainment; Linda A. Suydam, D.P.A, president, Consumer Healthcare Products Association; David Watson, EVP, operations, Comcast Cable Communications, Inc.; William Weldon, chairman and CEO, Johnson & Johnson; Jerry Yang, co-founder and chief Yahoo!, Yahoo! Inc..

“Much progress has been made during our 20 year history. Illicit drug use has been cut by more than 30 percent and there are 7.4 million fewer people using drugs,” said Steve Pasierb, president and CEO of the Partnership. “As we celebrate two decades of partnering with families, the Partnership gives heartfelt thanks to all who have helped us reach parents and teens with our critical messages.”

The evening’s festivities will conclude with a special performance by Crazy James, a sober-youth rock band recently profiled on News Channel4 by Perri Peltz. Crazy James was born out of the “Keeping it Real” program from Road Recovery, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping young people find their way towards a happy, healthy future and the group’s partnership with Caron New York, a local treatment and recovery center. Founded in 1998, Road Recovery is comprised of entertainment industry professionals whose lives have been touched by addiction and other adversities and who now wish to make a positive impact on the lives of others through mentoring and educational life-based programs.

For a complete list of co-chairs, event sponsors and more information on the gala, please visit www.drugfree.org. For more information on table sales, please contact Jeri Milhauser at the Partnership at jeri_milhauser@drugfree.org or at 212-922-1560.