Xango™ Operation Kids Update

XanGo Partners with German Foundation to Rebuild Thai Fishing Village

32 Families Will Regain Homes, Livelihood in Aftermath of Devastating Tsunami

LEHI, UT—June 7, 2005—XanGo, LLC, a Utah company offering a dietary supplement beverage, XanGo™ Juice, has partnered with a German foundation to rebuild a Thai fishing village that was decimated by the December 2004 tsunami.

Gordon Morton, XanGo EVP of sales and marketing, explained that XanGo has a close connection with Thailand since XanGo™ Juice's main ingredient, the mangosteen, is native to Southeast Asia and plentiful in Thailand. “In the aftermath of the tsunami, we looked for a meaningful way to impact the lives of the people of Thailand devastated by this horrific disaster,” Morton said. “We wanted to help Thai families and children who had not benefited from the tremendous outpouring of financial and humanitarian aid rendered to the people of Phuket.”

XanGo found that cause in a fishing village on the island of Ko Prah Thong, several hours north of Phuket, population 700. One of seven Ko Prah Thong villagers lost their lives in the tsunami disaster. Those who survived also were devastated; through international relief efforts, XanGo has found 32 families—110 people—who lost their homes and their livelihood in the destruction.

XanGo, already the principle donor to Operation Kids, an umbrella organization serving children's needs throughout the world, also has partnered with a German foundation, known as Farang Jai Dee (in Thai, this means “foreigner with a heart”) to adopt these families and to help them rebuild their homes and lives. The first step in helping them was to find and purchase land in a safer area a bit inland from their old home—a task completed in February.

Currently, this partnership is building 32 homes and infrastructure with the goal of helping these families become self-sustaining once more. Similar to some other well-known charities, the labor related to reconstruction is evenly split: 50 percent is provided by the villagers; 50 percent is donated through the foundation by skilled craftsmen. Said Rick

Larsen, president of Operation Kids, “This effort is THE model when it comes to how we should help those in need around the world.”

In addition, the villagers are being taught new crafts: They are learning how to build fishing boats that can be sold to other fishermen, and they are learning how to build beautiful model ships to sell to tourists in Phuket and other tourist areas.

Completion of the project is expected in 2007. In addition to its monetary support, XanGo will send employees and distributors from time to time to provide hands-on support for the construction project.

During a recent trip to the construction site, Morton found that all 32 dwellings are under construction, and six fishing boats are in the water. “The project is really moving ahead,” he said, “and it is gratifying to see the look of hope back in these people's eyes.”

While their new homes are under construction, the villagers are living on the property of a nearby temple in makeshift dwellings. Said Morton, “When this project is complete, it will have a powerful impact on these people's lives—not only now, but for generations to come.”