December 3, 2002

FAITH HILL, CREED, MELISSA ETHERIDGE AND VANESSA CARLTON WILL BE AMONG THE PERFORMERS AND MARTIN SHEEN, ELLEN DEGENERES, RENE RUSSO AND SELA WARD WILL BE AMONG THE PRESENTERS ON THE FOURTH ANNUAL "A HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS," A TOUCHING NEW ENTERTAINMENT SPECIAL CELEBRATING THE JOYS OF ADOPTION, FRIDAY, DEC. 20 ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK

Country crossover sensation Faith Hill, popular rock group Creed, esteemed singer/songwriter Melissa Etheridge and new teen pop sensation Vanessa Carlton will be among the performers and Martin Sheen ("The West Wing"), comedian Ellen DeGeneres ("The Ellen Show"), Rene Russo ("The Thomas Crown Affair") and Sela Ward ("Once and Again") will be among the stars presenting inspirational stories about adoption on the fourth annual A HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, a touching new entertainment special to be broadcast Friday, Dec. 20 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

Following the success of the past three annual shows, this year's special continues to tell moving stories about adoption to raise awareness of this important social issue. The inspirational stories of these American families are enhanced by performances by some of today's most popular performers. Faith Hill will perform "Stronger" from her new album Cry. Creed will sing "Don't Stop" from their new album, Weathered. Melissa Etheridge will perform the holiday favorite, "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." Vanessa Carlton will sing "Pretty Baby" from her album Be Not Nobody. Four pre-taped story segments will be presented by celebrities who either have had their own adoption experiences or are deeply involved with children's issues. The stories highlight many exceptional American children and families involved in this rewarding process.

The Quiggle Family (Raton, New Mexico): Dave and Erika always wanted to share their love with a young child in need. But when they saw the "Heart Gallery" portrait of 12-year-old Rafael and his older brother Felipe, they were touched by the obvious bond between the boys and knew at once that these were the children for them. Many children like Rafael and Felipe, have been adopted thanks to New Mexico's innovative "Heart Gallery" - a breathtaking photo gallery of children in need of forever families.

The Stevens Family (Honolulu, Hawaii): Lt. Cmdr. Scott Stevens and his wife, Beth, looked forward to starting a family while stationed at Pearl Harbor. Unable to conceive, the couple decided to pursue adoption on the Internet. On the other side of the Pacific, time was running out for 11-year-old Teressa and her 5-year-old brother, Hayden, who had been in and out of foster care since infancy. In 2001, the Stevens fell in love with a photo of the siblings on an adoption website, and decided to adopt them.

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The Gradney and Deane Families (Los Angeles): Many children have found permanent loving homes through the "One Church One Child" program that recruits African-American families for African-American children. In 1992, Michael and Judy Gradney were at church when they learned of the growing number of children in foster care. Moved by the plight of these youngsters, the couple decided to adopt 3-year-old Kevin and, upon learning of that he had a little sister, adopted 2-year-old Leelah to keep the siblings together. Robin Deane always wanted to adopt. When she saw a flyer at her church addressing the need for families to adopt African-American children, she made the call that would change her life forever and adopted 3-year-old Kiana.

Children Waiting (Los Angeles): There are over half-a-million children currently in foster care in the U.S. This segment brings the numbers to life by creating an intimate portrait of children who need permanent loving families. We get to know their wishes and laughter as they play in the park with host Ellen DeGeneres.

The special is being presented in association with The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and the Children's Action Network. The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption was established in 1992 by Wendy's restaurant founder Dave Thomas, who was adopted. Wendy's Restaurants is a program sponsor.

The Children's Action Network was founded in 1990 by leaders in the entertainment industry to harness the power of the entertainment media on behalf of children. The special is a part of CAN's National Adoption Campaign to raise awareness of the joys of adopting and to find homes for the children who are waiting.

A HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS is being produced by Triage Entertainment and Goldsmith Entertainment, in association with the Children's Action Network and the Dave Thomas Foundation. Karen Mack, Stephen Kroopnick and Stu Schreiberg are the executive producers; Marilyn Seabury is the producer; Kimberly Steer is the supervising producer; Mary Donaldson is the coordinating producer. Glenn Weiss is directing the special which was written by Judith Paige Mitchell.

RATING: To Be Announced

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Press Contacts: Andrea Ballas   323/575-2858            andrea.ballas@tvc.cbs.com
                                                Jayna Pakman    212/975-3163            jpakman@cbs.com