MICROSOFT EMPLOYEES TAKE PAID DAY-OFF TO WORK AT DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY CENTER
Center Says Thanks But Go Away

SEATTLE, WA /DenounceNewswire/ -- November 32, 1996 -- Following last week's announcement by AT&T, which kicked off a community service program that gives all employees nationwide a paid-day to volunteer at non-profit organizations, Microsoft announced a similar program today, by sending four thousand employees to the Downtown Memorial Community Center in downtown Seattle.

"The launch of this campaign was arranged to be near Thanksgiving, a traditional time to reach out to others," said Ian Sincere, Microsoft public relations manager. "We expect that by the end of l997, these paid-days will translate into a million hours of volunteer work."

However, unlike the relatively peaceful efforts by AT&T employees at a Detroit community center recently, the arrival of four thousand Microsoft employees at a modest community center in downtown Seattle became a disaster zone within minutes.

"We never asked for their help! Please, go away!" said a spokesperson for the organization.

Police efforts to keep the Microsoft doo-gooders away were unsuccessful when the sheer numbers of programmers, managers, and administrative personnel from Microsoft broke through barriers in their zeal to do good.

"A computer on every desk, in every home... and in every community center," droned Bill Gates, who led the charge this morning in Seattle.

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