Kosice, December 10, 2010 - U. S. Steel Kosice's year-round charity activity culminates in the Wishing Tree Christmas Concert, which took place last Friday in Kosice State Theater.

Just as in previous years, on this occasion too the employees of U. S. Steel Kosice and its subsidiaries have done their best to make the most beautiful festival of the year more enjoyable for those who need it the most. They picked cards from the Wishing Trees set up in several places around the steelworks, bearing children's wishes for Christmas gifts which they chose to fulfill. This year there were more than two hundred and seventy wishes, and gifts have been sent to children at the Elementary Residential School for Visually-disabled Children and the Secondary Specialist Vocational School for Visually-disabled Students in Levoca, and the Foster Home in Spisský Stiavnik. The most frequent of the boys' and girls' wishes were for toys, sports gear and cosmetics. Each of the institutions received financial support amounting to 8500 euros, and the children also got a special surprise in the form of some wonderful books which should stimulate their interest in reading and education. The authors Peter Karpinský and Ľubomír Lehotský came to read to them in person from their own literary works.

The steelmakers have also focused their assistance at the end of the year on health care. In line with the good tradition which has developed in the pre-Christmas period, the employees have joined in the fund-raising for the Ophthalmology Department on Rastislavova Street and the Eye Clinic at the Louis Pasteur University Hospital on SNP Drive in Kosice. The fund-raising proceeds were subsequently trebled, when the sum which was put together by more than seven thousand steelmakers was additionally matched by the Company itself and by the U. S. Steel Foundation. The combined donation of 79 473 euros will be used for buying a special laser coagulator device and a fundus camera. A symbolic check was presented during the concert to Louis Pasteur University Hospital Director Iveta Marinová by U. S. Steel Kosice President George F. Babcoke. The result is that the total amount of financial assistance for all of the non-profit organizations involved in the Concert comes to 104 973 euros.

"The Wishing Tree Concert has already become a tradition among the steelmakers," said George Babcoke, commenting on the Company's philanthropic activities. "It is the culmination of the hard work and social responsibility of or company and employees towards the region whch we live and work in. We help those who both need and deserve our assistance. The Kosice steelmakers have proved this more than once with their sense of solidarity and social sensibility. This has been confirmed once again by the hundreds of gifts, but also by this year's voluntary fund-raising, the proceeds of which have been donated to health-care institutions treating visual disabilities."

Another expression of the steelmakers' support for good causes takes the form of the Christmas charity hut on the Main Street in Kosice, in which the Company gives the opportunity to 19 different non-profit organizations to present their activities from December 5th to 23rd this year. It is also organizing more public fund-raising to aid their further development. The hut is being staffed by volunteers from among the employees and scholarship holders of U. S. Steel Kosice.

The Wishing Tree Christmas Concert featured delightful performances by Adriana Kucerová, La Gioia, Kristína, Miro Smajda, Robo Opatovský, Anita Soul and the Kosice State Theater orchestra.

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Further information:

Jan Baca
spokesman
U. S. Steel Kosice, s.r.o.
Tel.: +421 55 673 4476
Fax: +421 55 673 0330