UNIVERSAL NAMED IPP’S IMPACT PARTNER OF THE YEAR

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Impact Player Partners (IPP), a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing financial and emotional support to wounded troops, recognized Houston based Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc.’s continuing support by naming the company its Impact Partner of the Year for 2008.

Since 2005, Universal® has served as a corporate sponsor of IPP’s Impact a Hero Weekend, which brings severely injured troops from across the country together in Sugar Land, Texas, for a weekend of festivities honoring their sacrifices through a public forum of emotional support. This year’s event included a 5K run, a musical featuring the troops in Sugar Land Town Square, a ceremony in their honor following the musical, a black-tie gala and a golf tournament.

Universal® provided financial support for the weekend festivities and coordinated all logistical support for Impact a Hero Weekend for the second consecutive year.

In addition to providing a charter bus to transport the wounded troops throughout the weekend events, Universal® also used its corporate jet to transport some of the troops and their families to Sugar Land from across the country to Impact a Hero Weekend.

Universal® employees did their part by raising money for IPP by sponsoring lap quilts, which were sewn by Universal® volunteers and members of First Baptist Church of Pearland; purchasing bracelets; and earning sponsorship donations for competing in the 5K race. In addition, Universal® volunteers dedicated themselves to ensuring the entire weekend was a success.

“We began supporting Impact Player Partners in 2005 with a financial donation, but by 2007, we were asked to coordinate all logistics for the event,” explained Universal® Vice Chairman Marjorie Evans, who runs Universal’s employee and community relations programs.

“It’s a great honor to be named Impact Partner of the Year. Our employees have donated countless hours of their time to IPP, but they would all tell you that the relationships and inspiration they’ve received from the wounded troops is so much more. Although the event is called Impact a Hero weekend, I can say that the wounded heroes made every bit the impact on us as our support did to them. This has been a life-changing and inspirational event and we look forward to continuing to support IPP in the future.”