SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 24, 2002 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- From the East Coast to the West Coast, more than 45 malls nationwide are dressing up in red, white and blue for Macerich Company's (NYSE: MAC) third annual "An Old Glory*ous Celebration," a summer-long celebration of the American flag and patriotism. The celebration gives shoppers an opportunity to express their patriotism and learn about the country's heritage and history through special events, promotions, exhibits, community partnerships and patriotic giveaways. "An Old Glory*ous Celebration" encompasses all of the summer's patriotic holidays including Memorial Day, Flag Day, 4th of July and Labor Day.
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"When we started this program three years ago, we saw that people wanted an opportunity to celebrate their patriotism," said Susan Valentine, senior vice president of marketing for Macerich Company. "Given the events in our world today and the renewed sense of patriotism, we expect this year's tribute to Old Glory to generate even greater interest in communities nationwide."
"An Old Glory*ous Celebration" this year includes a tribute to the Girl Scouts of America in honor of its 90th anniversary. Over half of Macerich malls across the country are working with their local councils to hold various activities. Several malls are providing opportunities in the shopping centers for Girl Scouts to earn the new American flag badge while others are supplying space in the malls for recruitment booths or hosting local councils to participate in a sing-along simultaneously with the Girl Scouts' June 8th "Still Singing After All These Years" anniversary celebration in Washington, D.C.
"It is fitting that our third annual celebration includes Girl Scouts in communities nationwide as they are an integral part of our country's history and epitomize what it means to have a patriotic spirit," said Valentine.
Macerich held its first patriotic celebration in 2000 after conducting a nationwide survey of 4,000 shoppers, which revealed that shoppers had a desire to show their patriotic spirit. One of the results of the survey showed that few people knew Flag Day was on June 14 and, as a result, all Macerich malls hold special ceremonies on that day. Last year's "An Old Glory*ous Celebration" included a traveling exhibit to honor Pearl Harbor survivors in conjunction with the 60th anniversary of Pearl Harbor.
The Macerich Company, which has ownership interest in over 45 malls across the United States, is one of the nation's largest owners/operators of regional malls. Founded in 1965, Macerich is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "MAC". More information about Macerich is available at www.macerich.com .
SOURCE Macerich Company
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Betty Lovell, blovell@lovellpr.com , or Jenny Braga,
jbraga@lovellpr.com, both of Lovell Public Relations, Inc., +1-972-788-4511,
for Macerich Company
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