HOLLYWOOD STAR AND ROYALTY AT BC CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
(STEVEN SEAGAL & PRINCESS OCANSEY IN: “SAVE OUR BABIES: KICK OUT HIV/AIDS”)

Vancouver, BC (June 16, 2008) – USA Action Movie Super Star, Steven Seagal and HRH Princess Asie Ocansey of Ghana, will be visiting patients at BC Children’s Hospital on Monday, June 16, 2008 at 1pm.  They will deliver 1000 hand and heart-made “kissed bracelets”, made especially for the young British Columbians by the orphans of  the Save a Million Lives Orphan Support Program in Ada, Ghana, W. Africa.   Mr. Steven Seagal, who is currently in Vancouver shooting a new movie, will be taking time from his busy schedule to visit patients at BC Children’s Hospital. This “Father of the Fatherless”, is co-founder of the “Save a Million Lives from HIV/AIDS” Orphan Support Initiative called, “SAVE OUR BABIES: KICK OUT HIV/AIDS”, which supports over 752 orphaned children in Ghana.  “The Princess and I are committed to children, and to doing all we can to help reduce the suffering of all children around the world – we hope our visit will help the children at the hospital take their minds off their pain for a moment to connect them to our children’s love in Africa through these bracelets,” said the action movie star.  “I am thrilled to be in Beautiful BC!” said Princess Ocansey. “Steven and I have been working together to make life better for children, especially orphaned babies. When we read about all the great work this BC hospital has been doing for the children here, our children decided to make 1000 “kissed bracelets” from their hearts and by their little hands for BC’s sick children to make them heal faster.  It is no wonder these two initiated the “SAVE OUR BABIES- KICK OUT AIDS” Campaign in Ghana. Mr. Seagal and the Princess are the voice of the voiceless and faces of the faceless AIDS babies who continue to die silently in Africa.  They are determined to bring awareness to this critical issue all over the world. 

“Making these bracelets for BC Children’s patients was such fun for our 752 children,” said the Princess. “Many of these children have lost their parents and siblings to HIV/AIDS and Malaria and other illnesses so they, more than anyone else, know how diseases can take our loved ones from us. Doing something about it was therapeutic and empowering for them. We all know how kissing a child’s “booboo” can make them feel better, so I kiss each bracelet!

The Princess delivered kissed bracelets for this year’s Valentines Day to the sick children of the Alberta Children’s Hospital. The children were very excited about meeting a “real” Princess.

“We hope these bracelets will come to strengthen the cords of friendship between the children of Ghana and the children of British Columbia,” said Mr. Joseph Frimpong, President of Focus on Africa, a BC based and registered charitable organization committed to helping rural communities in Africa.   Later on in the day at 5pm on June 16, Focus on Africa and SOS Labour, Ghana, Limited will be having a private “Royal Decoration and Award Ceremony” at the Vancouver Sutton Place to recognize Mr. Steven Seagal for his contributions in fighting Mother to Child Transmission (MTCT) of HIV/AIDS in Ghana and to helping to raise awareness to save many babies. Several invited guests from BC and AB will be joining the efforts of Mr. Seagal and the Princess to donate funds to the “Save Our Babies: Kick Out AIDS” Campaign.  “Right now medication exists to help stop MTCT. I know BC Children’s Hospital has been working very hard in this area. I hope through this visit we can bring awareness to help the poor helpless babies of Africa, to help get the information and medicine needed to pregnant mothers to prevent AIDS from killing more babies in Africa.”  “Ghana is blessed to have these two humanitarians join forces to help not only the children of Ghana but now also the children of British Columbia, Canada,” said Mr. George Piprah, Ghana’s Honorary Consul in BC. Our children are our future so by connecting these children, we are securing our future,  said Mr. George Piprah,  who will be joining the Princess and Mr. Seagal on their visit to BC Children’s Hospital.

The Save a Million Lives Orphan Support project, Angels of Hope, was founded by Princess Asie Ocansey and Mr. Steven Seagal. The project uses the kissed bracelets to raise funds to support the orphaned children and/ or to create love and friendship between suffering children around the world.

Focus on Africa is a charitable initiative formed in British Columbia, Canada in 1996 to mobilize and harness local and international resources for the social development of rural African Communities.  

SOS Labour Ghana, Ltd. is a socially responsible job placement Agency, currently providing Temporary Foreign Workers to Alberta and BC from Ghana in order to help these workers break generational cycles of poverty while helping BC and AB overcome labour shortages in the Construction, Mining and Hospitality Industries.

BC Children’s Hospital, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority, provides expert care for British Columbia’s most seriously ill or injured children, including newborns and adolescents. BC Children’s is an academic health centre affiliated with the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, and the Child & Family Research Institute. For more information, please visit www.bcchildrens.ca .
 
For more information visit: www.stevenseagal.com to see the Save a Million Lives video clip on the works of Steven Seagal and Princess Ocansey. Also see  www.operationlia.org ,  www.nekotechcenter.org  

INFORMATION

Joseph Frimpong
778-891-1957    
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Please note:
Media interested in attending on June 16 are asked to arrive at 12:50 p.m. at BC Children’s Hospital, 4480 Oak Street, Vancouver. Please meet in the main lobby and wait for a hospital representative who will escort media to the event location.