Timeshare Charity Unites Muslims and Christians to Re-Grow Lebanon

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia, March 9, 2005 -- Hundreds of Lebanese, Christians and Muslims alike, joined a "Convoy of Hope" to Southern Lebanon on Sunday, March 6, at 8am, to the war-torn village of Hanin, near the Israeli border, led by a timeshare charity for children.

Recent events in the country have united the spirits of Lebanese who say they want a country where they are free to express themselves.

A convoy of 6 buses and many cars with banners of hope and peace made a 3-hour journey to the village in a show of solidarity toward peace and hope.

Local television stations filmed the event. Volunteers from England, USA, France, Czech Republic and hundreds of Lebanese rallied behind this demonstration of solidarity for good will, and joined in the "United Hearts of Lebanon" campaign, a non-political project of Time4sharing.org (http://www.Time4sharing.org).

Their message, demonstrated by their deeds, was to restore life in a barren village, scorched and ravaged by the 15-year civil war, and together to plant a Forest of Hope, where over 3000 trees were planted.

This initiative of the United Nations, "Trees Instead of Mines," has had the support from several governments abroad, but never before did a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) participate. The timing in the country has spurred hundreds and hundreds to join in, who carried a shovel and a Lebanese National Flag - its icon a cedar tree. The UN project is to encourage organizations to replace areas which were formally mined areas with trees that can bear fruit and be harvested by the local villagers, therefore empowering them to care for the crops.

"The event was seen as a National Community Action Project, spearheaded by a timeshare charity for underprivileged children, Time4sharing.org, amidst the climate of uncertain days ahead for the tiny nation - but hope is in the air, and the roots of peace are being sown everywhere," said Time4sharing.org Founder and Project Leader, Vivian Boulos-Tolan.

"We were able and fortunate to rally these hundreds of people together from every faction of the country to do something positive, and it was miraculous to see them all working shoulder to shoulder for a common good cause," she added.

The charity will inaugurate a children's park in the forest they planted later this year.

The timeshare charity has created many community action events and children's fun days in Slovakia, Czech Republic and Malta using the staff of Platinum International and World Class Vacation Club, who have timeshare jobs, to activate its charity arm to raise awareness for empowering underprivileged children.


For more info. contact:

Vivian Boulos-Tolan
info@time4sharing.org

Karma Media and John Buoniconti Are Lacing up Their Shoes for the Big Walk

16,000-Mile Cross Country Trek Raises Money for Cancer Victims.

LOS ANGELES--March. 7, 2005-- When you tell John Buoniconti to take a hike, don't expect to see him anytime soon. His upcoming hike, "The Big Walk," www.thebigwalk.org, will cover 16,000 miles, hit every state in the continental US, take 3 years to complete and will raise at least $5 million to help ease the financial burdens of cancer victims and their families. Mr. Buoniconti's "Big John's Team" is set to start walking March 26 in Augusta, Maine. Karma Media, Inc. (OTC BB: KRMA - News) and Event 360, two of The Big Walk's corporate sponsors, will be with the team from the very first step, and Estelle Reyna, host of KRMA's international hit travel show "Estelle's Paradise," will accompany John during the first few miles of his trek.

"John's mission to raise money for cancer victims and their families is very personal, very touching and very important," stated Estelle Reyna. "John lost both his parents to cancer by the time he was 10 years old. He was then presented with a hospital bill for over $1 million. He has spent the past several years raising money to help the families of cancer patients cope with the financial strain of the disease, and Karma Media is very proud to help any way we can."

KRMA will be providing support for The Big Walk in the areas of public relations and multi-media footage. KRMA and Estelle will meet up with John and his team regularly over the 3-year journey to update the world on his progress.

"I'm looking forward to seeing the country on foot," stated John Buoniconti. "My team and I have been overwhelmed with the outpouring of support we've received for The Big Walk and I can't wait to meet the wonderful people in the small towns and big cities along our route. I'm also grateful that Karma Media recognizes the value of the work we're doing on behalf of cancer patients and their families."

Individuals and companies interested in sponsoring The Big Walk are asked to contact Dennis Jones at (310) 432-6372. Filming of The Big Walk by the Karma Media television crew will take place between March 25-30 in Augusta and Portland, Maine.

About Karma Media, Inc.

Karma Media, Inc., www.karmamedia.com, is a multi-media company producing original content in multiple languages, primarily for television. The Company's flagship product is "Estelle's Paradise," www.estelle.tv, a half-hour weekly travel show that airs on nearly 600 television stations around the world. The Company's core value of social responsibility influences its content, productions and strategic relationships.

Contact:
Dominique Einhorn
Karma Media, Inc.
310-383-8200
dom@karmamedia.com

Canadian Government Recognizes G.A.P Adventures Tsunami Relief Efforts

March 8, 2005. Toronto – G.A.P Adventures and our supporters have contributed nearly $40,000 in tsunami relief funding, to help the people devastated by the tsunami over two months ago. We truly appreciate this tremendous response, and recently received a personal letter of recognition from Ontario Premier, Dalton McGuinty. "I would like to thank you and everyone associated with G.A.P Adventures for your invaluable work in support of the relief effort for the catastrophe in South Asia. Your collective ability to respond to this emergency in such a prompt and positive way is a tribute to your company's caring nature and commitment to helping others." You can read the entire letter here.

The images of devastation are still vivid in our minds, but at the same time events such as this also bring out the best in humanity, as we have all pitched in to lend assistance in one way or another. The funds raised by G.A.P Adventures have gone towards relief efforts of generous organizations like Plan International, The Red Cross and UNICEF.

However, our ability to help does not end here. Being a responsible tour operator, we realize the importance of continued tourism to these countries, and so do our travellers. Throughout January and February, our trips to Thailand and Asia held strong, with our travellers realizing that their positive economic impact was needed more than ever before.

"Now that the media seems to have calmed down and it seems the mass frenzy is over, there is still a long road ahead for people throughout Asia, to rebuild their lives, their homes, their towns, and their livelihoods. One great thing about our industry is that we can continue to support them by promoting our tours to Asia, which provides economic support and jobs for so many. It was encouraging to see that Thailand was still our top Asian destination in January 2005!" - Danielle Weiss, G.A.P Adventures

For more information about our relief efforts and to find out what you can still do to help those in need, please contact Danielle Weiss, Sustainable Tourism Coordinator at 1 800 465 5600 x122 or danielle@gap.ca.

G.A.P Adventures
Media Contact: Red Hunt
Phone: 416 260 0999 ext 161
Email: red@gap.ca

http://www.gapadventures.com

FUNDRAISING TREK IN SUPPORT OF PERUVIAN PORTERS

Cuzco based Inka Porter Project (IPP) has joined forces with The International Mountain Explorers connection (IMEC) to raise funds, and awareness, for their invaluable work with Peruvian porters. The not-for-profit Peruvian organization and their American partner are offering a special 12-day adventure through Peruvian villages and along an alternate trail to Machu Picchu departing 31 May 2005 from Lima.

This special opportunity will allow participants to experience the very best of Peru and also assist the porters at the same time. The 12-day trip features a 6-day trek along the less travelled Inca paths of Peru towards Machu Picchu. This alternate trail has been chosen to reduce the impact from the already congested and more popular Inca Trail and to highlight that there is more to Peru than Machu Picchu.

Tens of thousands of tourists hike the legendary Inca trail to the UNESCO-protected site of Machu Picchu every year, yet often the porters who carry their tents and provisions at very high altitude are paid as little as five US dollars a day. Inadequate meals, poor medical care and lack of rainproof sleeping accommodation are just some of the other issues that the porters face.

Starting from Lima, the World Expedition trek takes place from 31 May to 11 June 2005 and includes time in Cusco itself as well as a tour of the dramatic ruins of Machu Picchu after five days’ moderately graded trekking through the superb Andean landscape.


Cost of the trip is US$2850, joining from Lima, and places are strictly limited to 20 people. For every participant, US$1000 from the cost of the trip will be donated to the Inka Porter Project and the International Mountain Explorers Connection.


The Inka Porter Project’s key aims are to foster respect for all porters and animal drivers that work in the Andes and the World Expeditions departure will include a visit to their new training and drop-in centre for porters, based in the picturesque village of Ollantaytambo. The project has also issued a set of responsible trekking guidelines for anyone intending to hike the Inca trail. For more details, visit www.peruweb.org/porters


The International Mountain Explorers Connection promotes responsible and sustainable connections between travelers and the people of developing mountain regions of the world.


For further information about World Expeditions’ Alternative Inca Trail this spring,

visit www.peruweb.org/porters or www.hec.org.

Contact Name: Scott MacLennan
Company: International Mountain Explorers Connection
Telephone: 505-830-9808
E-Mail: smaclen@aol.com