FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 29, 2006 FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Brett Garner (brett@peteashdown.org) Office: (801) 983-7383 *****PRESS RELEASE***** Ashdown Dinner Raises $8k for Charity, Not Politics SALT LAKE CITY, UT--Pete Ashdown's "Feed the Hungry, Not the Politicians" dinner collected $8370 for charities in Utah and nationwide. Remarking on its success, Ashdown said: "Once again Utahns have shown that they are the most charitable people in the country, and I am just very excited about how many people opened their hearts and pockets to help our needy families." The event, personally financed by Ashdown, mainly benefited four Utah charities that deal with hunger in Utah; the charities' only involvement will be receiving the individual contributions. In short remarks to the crowd, Ashdown touched on today's Census Bureau report on poverty in the United States. "In the richest country in the world, we have one in eight Americans in poverty; we can do better than that, both as a state and as a nation." Playing off a presidential slogan, Ashdown said "To truly leave no child behind, they must have the energy to make it through the day." Ashdown applauded President Bush coming to Utah, and wished there would be more presidential visits to the West. However, Ashdown added that: "Each time the President has come to Utah, he has banged the drums of war. I would hope that there would be a time when he plays the pipes of peace." The event was attended by over capacity crowd for the Alta Club dining room, over 160 people. The main beneficiaries for the event were: Utahns Against Hunger, the Utah Food Bank, the Anti-Hunger Action Committee of the Crossroads Urban Center, and the Salt Lake Inter-Faith Hospitality Network. Other charities receiving funds were: the Road Home, the National Ability Center, and others.