DuPont Provides $80,000 'Surprise' Gift to Displaced Single Mother of 2 to Rebuild Her Florida Home Devastated by Hurricane Charlie

WILMINGTON, Del.,  December 16, 2004  —  DuPont today provided an $80,000 "surprise" gift to Port Charlotte resident Monica LaCroix and her two young daughters whose home was devastated by 2004's Hurricane Charlie and subsequently condemned by the state of Florida.

The DuPont gift was made through the Collier Building Industry Association (CBIA), a local branch of the Florida Home Builders Association (FHBA), to help LaCroix quickly rebuild her home with quality building products, including DuPont building materials designed to protect homes from extreme weather conditions. The products to outfit the home will include: DuPont™ Corian® solid surfacing, DuPont™ Tyvek® Weatherization System, DuPont™ StormRoom™ with DuPont™ Kevlar® and DuPont™ shatter-resistant SentryGlas®.

"We are pleased to assist Monica and her family with both the financial donation and innovative DuPont building materials to help them build a safer and sounder home and rebuild their lives following this devastation," said Valerie Aunet of DuPont. "Monica's strength and resilience during this trying time has been an inspiration to all of us. Because of her true grit and determination to fight for herself and her family, she is certainly deserving of this donation. DuPont is honored to be involved and help where we can. "

LaCroix works for the Charlotte County school system and continues to pay a mortgage on her destroyed home. Following Hurricane Charlie, she and her two daughters were left with only the clothes on their backs and have been living in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) housing since the storm leveled her home.

Unaware of the DuPont gift, LaCroix and her daughters, ages 8 and 11, were brought by friends to the site of her home Thursday morning, where she was surprised with the announcement. The presentation was made by Aunet and Jeff Stevens of Stevens Industries of Fort Myers, Fla., a DuPont™ Corian® fabricator who first met LaCroix and sought the assistance of DuPont.

"Jeff Stevens is truly responsible for making this donation happen," Aunet said. "As the residents of Florida continue to live with the devastation caused by the hurricanes this year, it's people like Jeff – along with our fabricators, distributors, and the building industry in Florida – who pull together to help families in their time of need. DuPont is extremely proud to be a part of it."

DuPont will make $100 donations up to $80,000 in the name of each builder who stops by its booth at the 2005 International Builders Show in Orlando Jan. 13-17. A description of the family of building products that will be incorporated into LaCroix's new home include:

• Corian® Solid Surfaces – A durable and versatile surfacing material that continues to evolve with new colors and innovations to help create warm, friendly and stylish environments.
• Tyvek® Weatherization System – A system that creates a comfortable, energy-efficient environment using four key elements, including; Tyvek® Wrap, a breathable weather-resistant barrier; DuPont Flashing Systems, a sealant for windows and door openings; Tyvek® Wrap Cap Fasteners, to secure the wrap to vertical surfaces, and; Tyvek® Tape, the final step in creating a protective weather envelope.
• DuPont™ StormRoom™ with Kevlar® – One of the latest DuPont innovations in home safety and design, the DuPont™ StormRoom™ with Kevlar® is engineered with the same materials as bullet-resistant vests, withstanding wind speeds of up to 250 miles-per-hour. The laminated sheathing used inside the reinforced wall panels helps protect families from the windborne objects and deadly debris often caused by extreme wind speeds from hurricanes and tornadoes.
• DuPont™ SentryGlas® – A strength in windows that provides a safe, secure and peaceful environment that protects people and homes from extreme weather. Windows are typically the weakest portion of a building and are the first to break in an incident. By using DuPont™ SentryGlas® as a window interlayer, windows can resist flying debris and shards of glass that could injure people.

DuPont is a science company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture, nutrition, electronics, communications, safety and protection, home and construction, transportation and apparel.

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12/16/04

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