Sir Allen Stanford

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital^® and Stanford Financial Group announced that Camilo Villegas has joined Vijay Singh in participating in the 2008 Eagles for St. Jude program. Villegas has pledged to donate $3,000 to St. Jude for every eagle he makes on the 2008 PGA TOUR. Earlier this year, Singh committed to donate $5,000 for every eagle he makes on the TOUR this season, and he donated $50,000 to St. Jude for his participation in the 2007 Eagles for St. Jude program.

Singh said, “This is great news for the kids at St. Jude. I am so pleased that other PGA pros are joining me in the incredible program – and I extend an invitation to other golfers to join us. Camilo is a great golfer, so I’m sure his donation for the 2008 TOUR will be significant!”

Villegas said that knowing his participation would help the children at St. Jude made the decision an easy one. “I can’t think of a better motivation to play well than to know you are helping the kids at St. Jude,” he said. “And while I look forward to making the most eagles I can each season, this year I’ll have an added incentive.”

The Eagles for St. Jude program was created in Stanford’s inaugural sponsorship year of the Stanford St. Jude Championship out of the desire to provide a season-long fundraising component to the Memphis PGA TOUR stop. For the program, Stanford committed to donate $1,000 for every eagle made on the TOUR. During the 2007 PGA TOUR, 1,222 eagles were made, which resulted in Stanford donating $1,222,000 to St. Jude for the Eagles program. Stanford will continue to donate $1,000 per eagle for the entire 2008 season. The program is also supported by the Golf Channel, which provides season-long updates and promotional support for Eagles for St. Jude.

Sir Allen Stanford, Chairman and CEO of Stanford Financial Group, said, “St. Jude is vital in the battle against catastrophic childhood diseases and we want the world to know it. It is our hope that the Eagles for St. Jude program will increase awareness for this special place and encourage golf fans to donate to this worthy cause.”

“Eagles for St. Jude is a wonderfully unique program that shows Stanford’s amazing commitment to the kids of St. Jude. It will be thrilling to watch the eagles accumulating throughout the PGA TOUR, knowing that each one will help support St. Jude’s ground-breaking research and life-saving care,” said John P. Moses, CEO of ALSAC/St. Jude, the fundraising organization of St. Jude.

Public donations to Eagles for St. Jude can be made at www.eaglesforstjude.com. Also available on www.eaglesforstjude.com is a scorecard that provides program participants and fans alike the opportunity to view the cumulative number of eagles carded for Singh and other PGA TOUR professionals. In addition, visitors can view the Eagles for St. Jude commercial featuring Singh and St. Jude patients and read about patients who are featured in the commercial.

In 2007, Stanford Financial Group assumed the title sponsorship of what was previously known as the FedEx St. Jude Classic and is now named the Stanford St. Jude Championship, a premier PGA TOUR event that has benefited St. Jude since 1970.

St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands - (April 8, 2008) – Stanford Financial Group announced today the appointment of former President of Switzerland, Dr. h.c. Adolf Ogi, to its International Advisory Board, effective April 1, 2008.

Mr. Ogi’s extraordinary career has led to important advances in politics, business, economic issues, sport, and philanthropic efforts. His European expertise and global perspective align with the Stanford group of companies which is expanding its presence worldwide.

“We could not have found a better partner to join our International Advisory Board than Adolf Ogi. Mr. Ogi embodies Stanford’s commitment to maintain a sense of purpose in our work and to pursue excellence in everything we do,” said Sir Allen Stanford, Chairman of Stanford Financial Group.

As the Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace to the Secretary General of the United Nations (2001 to 2007), Mr. Ogi is noted for promoting the importance of sports in improving human development among children living in some of the world’s most impoverished areas. Mr. Ogi also serves as Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Swiss Economic Forum and Honorary President of the Geneva Security Forum.

In regard to his role at Stanford, Adolf Ogi said “Stanford is a special organization led by Sir Allen, a third-generation family owner, focused on helping individuals plan for their future. I am proud to be involved with a financial services group which also understands the importance of improving communities through sports and philanthropy.”

Stanford Financial Group is active in promoting community advancement through sports, including revitalizing West Indies cricket through the Stanford 20/20 Tournament in Antigua and supporting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through the Stanford St. Jude Championship PGA TOUR golf tournament in Memphis.

By joining Stanford’s International Advisory Board, Mr. Ogi joins a group which is made up of other prominent individuals from Stanford’s key markets, including Mexico, Ecuador, Venezuela, and the United States.

Memphis, TN - Last year’s Stanford St. Jude Championship certainly made a winner out of Woody Austin, who went on to enjoy his best season on the PGA TOUR. But the biggest winner of the week was St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®, which received a record donation of $1.76 million from the tournament, the largest donation in the 38 years that St. Jude has been the sole beneficiary of the Memphis PGA TOUR event.

Austin was at Target House in Memphis today to kickoff the countdown to the 2008 Stanford St. Jude Championship. Tournament officials also announced several highly ranked player commitments, all-new ticket packages for 2008, and important charitable initiatives to benefit St. Jude.

“It was definitely an honor to win the Stanford St. Jude Championship last year, not only because of the talented field I competed against, but because of the special place this tournament holds in this community’s heart and the wonderful charity it benefits,” said Austin. “I look forward to returning to Memphis in two months to defend my title.”

Austin posted a brilliant final round of 62, the best final round of the year on the PGA TOUR, to claim the 2007 Stanford St. Jude Championship.

Meanwhile, Stanford St. Jude Championship Executive Director Kevin Krisle announced today that in addition to Austin returning as defending champion, PGA TOUR stars Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia, Retief Goosen, Vijay Singh, Camilo Villegas and back-to-back Memphis winner David Toms had committed to play in this year’s tournament, June 2-8 at TPC Southwind.

“Celebrating our 51st year in Memphis, the Stanford St. Jude Championship has a very rich history,” said Krisle. “It is the strong support of the community, as well as the commitment from dedicated sponsors such as Stanford Financial Group and FedEx that make it one of the longest running tournaments on the PGA TOUR. We’re excited with the way this year’s field is shaping up, and we’re looking forward to entertaining our fans with another first-class tournament.”

Tickets for the Stanford St. Jude Championship are currently on sale with a number of new ticket options available to fans in 2008, including free admission to the tournament grounds for children 15 and younger when accompanied by a ticketed adult. Discounted tickets, which are available through May 15, include adult One-Day tickets for $20 and $75 for a season ticket. Tickets are available now by visiting www.stanfordstjude.com or by calling (901) 748-0534.

In addition, Club Eagle, a redesigned hospitality ticket package, entitles fans to two admissions to the tournament, plus access to an open-air hospitality tent behind the 11th green. The $325.00 package also includes complimentary bottled water and soft drinks, one Lot-X season parking pass, and an Eagles for St. Jude hat, golf towel and bag tag. Most importantly, the Club Eagle package includes a $50 donation to the Eagles for St. Jude program.

Eagles for St. Jude is a program created by Stanford Financial Group during its first year of title sponsorship of the Stanford St. Jude Championship to provide a season-long fundraising component for St. Jude. For each eagle carded on the PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour, Stanford donates $1,000 per eagle to Eagles for St. Jude.

PGA TOUR professional Vijay Singh, who serves as the Eagles for St. Jude ambassador, has committed to donate $5,000 for every eagle he makes. He is joined by other individuals, companies and golfers who have made commitments to the program, including golfers Camilo Villegas and Morgan Pressel who have committed $3,000 and $1,000, respectively, for each eagle they make. Eagles for St. Jude is also supported by The Golf Channel, which provides season-long updates and promotional support. More information on the program can be found at www.eaglesforstjude.com.

During the press conference, Austin helped officials present gold volunteer recognition pins to several tournament volunteers who have reached a five-year anniversary of more than 25 years of volunteer service. These volunteers included Gallery Marshals Robert Roberts (25 years), Dick Gardner (25), Mark Hunter (25), Brenda Porter (25) Dennis Taylor (25), Jerry Keenum (30) and Robert Laurie (30). Also honored were Olen Steppe (Volunteer Hospitality, 25 years); Ellen Meyer (Mobility-Impaired Spectators, 25); Buddy Johnson (Volunteer Hospitality, 30) and Don Goin (Scoring, 35).

Prior to his Target House visit, Austin stopped at Idlewild Elementary School to witness a demonstration of The First Tee National School Program (NSP) — an entry-level golf curriculum designed to be a part of elementary school physical education programs. The First Tee National School Program curriculum is based on national physical education standards and utilizes developmentally appropriate golf equipment called SNAG (Starting New At Golf) that is safe and fun for children and beginners. The program also includes character education elements through introduction to The First Tee Nine Core Values™ — honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy, and judgment.

NSP curriculum is being taught at 33 Memphis City Schools through the financial support of the Stanford St. Jude Championship. With support from the PGA TOUR and a growing number of tournaments and other sponsors, the National School Program is now being taught in more than 2,000 elementary schools across the nation. It has also established an impressive number of golf industry partnerships that encourage students to pursue their interest in golf and adopt its values beyond the classroom.

During the press conference, Suzanne Hamm, Stanford’s Chief Marketing Officer for North America, said: “It’s quite an honor to have the Stanford name associated with a tournament so steeped in history and tradition. Our commitment to support St. Jude is what convinced us to become title sponsor of this PGA TOUR stop. The fact that we were able to make a record donation to St. Jude for the 2007 tournament just gives us more incentive to continue to enhance the event and make it one of the top-rated on the TOUR.”

The event has witnessed many historic moments (President Gerald Ford’s hole-in-one during the 1977 Celebrity Pro-Am, Al Geiberger’s record-setting round of 59 in that same year), but since 1970, when St. Jude was named the event’s sole charity, the tournament has always been known for its commitment to helping children, ensuring that the tournament’s impact on the community lasted well beyond one week each summer.

This June, the event celebrates its 51st year in Memphis, and second-year title sponsor Stanford Financial Group has ensured that the tournament’s legacy continues, both on the golf course and in the community.