BellSouth Senior Classic at Opryland Makes Largest Charity Donation in Tournament History

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - November 9, 2001 - In a presentation tonight held at the Grand Ole Opry representatives for the BellSouth Senior Classic at Opryland will announce this year's total contribution of $325,000 to six local charities. This is the BellSouth Senior Classic's largest donation in the tournament's eight-year history.

With this year's proceeds, the BellSouth Senior Classic at Opryland has now contributed more than $1.6 million to Middle Tennessee charities, according to Marty Dickens, president BellSouth Tennessee.

"We are very proud to be the title sponsor of one of Nashville's premiere professional sporting events," Dickens said. "But the true honor is in helping to make life better for children in our region. On behalf of the BellSouth Senior Classic at Opryland, I am thrilled to contribute $325,000 to our tournament charities in support of their work to help our children grow into healthy, successful adults."

Dickens was joined by Gaylord Entertainment Company, president and chief executive officer, Colin Reed, the 2001 BellSouth Senior Classic champion Sammy Rachels and country music artist and host of the tournament's Celebrity Kids Classic tournament Trace Adkins on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry to make the check presentation. Children representing the six charities, Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, Girl Scout Council of Cumberland Valley, Middle Tennessee Council Boy Scouts of America, Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee, Family & Children's Service and Tennessee Lions Charities, accepted the check.

Each year Vanderbilt Children's Hospital serves more than 60,000 children from Tennessee, southern Kentucky and northern Alabama, as well as from other states and countries. It was founded 28 years ago as the region's only hospital dedicated solely to the care of children. The hospital is expanding its capabilities by building a new state-of-the-art, freestanding facility adjacent to the current hospital. Contributions from the 2001 BellSouth Senior classic will help further that expansion effort.

The Girl Scout Council of Cumberland Valley is the premier leadership development organization for girls, serving 23,900 young women of Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky. Contributions from the tournament will help renovate Camp Holloway, a 61-acre Girl Scout camp near Nashville named in honor of Josephine Holloway, founder of Nashville's first African-American Girl Scout troop. Renovations to Holloway will double the capacity of the camp.

The Middle Tennessee Council Boy Scouts of America, serving more than 45,000 youth in 37 mid-state counties, instills values in young people, preparing them to make ethical choices during their lifetime. Contributions from the BellSouth Senior Classic at Opryland will enable the Scouting Program to serve one out of every five youth in Middle Tennessee, and will help support Boxwell Reservation, Grimes Canoe Base, Parish Reservation and Jet Potter Scout Service Center.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee serve more than 4,000 urban youth at six Boys and Girls Clubs with games, sports programs and computer classes as well as educational programs like Project learn and Character Counts. The funds from the BellSouth Senior Classic allow the Boys & Girls Clubs to keep dues affordable, allowing children of all economic backgrounds to join.

Support from the 2001 BellSouth Senior Classic assists Family & Children's Service by providing counseling in times of crisis for children, individuals and families regardless of their financial capacity. The agency also provides counseling for families considering adoption, and finds nurturing, adoptive families for children with special needs.

Tennessee Lions Charities, founded in 1995, is the charitable arm of the Lions Clubs of Tennessee. Contributions form the tournament will be used to support the group's free eye-screening program for preschool children. Since 1997 more than 32,000 children have received a free eye screening conducted by Lions Club volunteers.

The BellSouth Senior Classic at Opryland is held each year at the Springhouse Golf Club, a Gaylord Entertainment Company property, and is considered one of the premier stops on the SENIOR PGA Tour. The 2002 tournament will be held June 9-16 and will be broadcast nationwide on CNBC and PAX networks.

About BellSouth Corporation
BellSouth Corporation is a Fortune 100 communications services company headquartered in Atlanta, GA, serving more than 46 million customers in the United States and 15 other countries.

Consistently recognized for customer satisfaction, BellSouth provides a full array of broadband data and e-commerce solutions to business customers, including Web hosting and other Internet services. In the residential market, BellSouth offers DSL high-speed Internet access, advanced voice features and other services. BellSouth also provides online and directory advertising services, including BellSouth® Real PagesSM.com. BellSouth owns 40 percent of Cingular Wireless, the nation's second largest wireless company, which provides innovative wireless data and voice services.

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For more information, contact:

Pattie Kushner BellSouth Corporation 404-249-2365 Karen Williams BellSouth -Tennessee (615) 214-5874 Phil Martin/Heather Middleton Mercatus Communications (615) 254-6785