Nymex Contributes $1.5 Million To Assist Families Of World Trade Center Victims

The New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc., today announced a contribution of $1.5 million to the New York Mercantile Exchange Charitable Assistance Fund, established as a public foundation to benefit the families of World Trade Center victims who were closely associated with the Exchange, including members, former members, employees, former employees, committee members, and member firm employees with day-to-day jobs related to the Exchange.

The contribution brings the total raised for the fund to $3.6 million. An additional $717,000 has been contributed to the New York Mercantile Exchange Charitable Foundation 9-11 Relief Fund, which will donate half of its proceeds to the Charitable Assistance Fund and the remaining half to relief organizations assisting the families of other victims of the World Trade Center attack.

Madeline Boyd, chairman of the Charitable Assistance Fund and the NYMEX Charitable Foundation committee, said, "The tragic events of September 11th hit particularly close to home for the members of our community who lost so many beloved colleagues and friends. The Exchange and its traders have always placed a heavy emphasis on philanthropy, sending thousands of children to summer camp over the last nine years and benefiting untold number of other causes in the metropolitan area, but the outpouring of concern and generosity we are experiencing is unprecedented."

Exchange Chairman Vincent Viola said, "Trading side-by-side each day forges a unique relationship within our community that transcends friendship and feels more akin to brotherhood. Caring for our extended family members, as well as other victims of this great tragedy, is our humble effort to provide some solace to those who suffered such terrible losses."

Other large contributions to the Exchange's Charitable Assistance Fund, Charitable Foundation 9-11 Relief Fund, or the two combined include:

$250,000; Man International, HPR Commodities, MBF Clearing Corp., Vincent Viola, New York Mercantile Exchange Charitable Foundation

$100,000; Steven Berkson

$75,000; Adam Hirsch

$50,000; Thomas Gordon, National Futures Association, Steve Kinzelberg, Geoffrey Wolfson

$40,000; Mitchell Stern

$36,000; Paris Securities

$35,000; KMAC Trading

$30,000; Thomas Boyan, Robert Denenberg, Klein Family Foundation

$25,000; Glen Pergament, Lee Spiegal, Scott Arnel, Fimat, WTC Victims and Survivors Foundation

For further information on the Exchange's Charitable Foundation or Charitable Assistance Fund, please call +1 212 299-2770 or e-mail charitablefoundation@nymex.com. Donations to either fund can be sent to the NYMEX Charitable Foundation office, 15th floor, World Financial Center, One North End Avenue, New York, NY, 10282.