The press release below just came in from TV's Highlander creators and star Adrian Paul. I thought its urgency demanded immediate attention.

West Hollywood, CA -- February 11, 2005. HIGHLANDER TV Series star Adrian Paul in collaboration with Davis-Anderson Merchandising Corp (DAMC), Davis-Panzer Productions (DP) and HIGHLANDER WorldWide (HLWW) have come together to raise funds for the devastated Thai Island of Koh Phi Phi.  

Koh Phi Phi, formerly renowned as one of the seven most beautiful places in the world by distinguished explorer Jacques Cousteau, and used in the feature film “The Beach” is now flattened in the rubble of the tsunamis of Dec. 26, 2004. Adrian Paul’s brother Andrew had lived and operated an adventure travel business on this small island, a one and a half hour boat trip from Phuket, for over 11 years. Andrew and the people, of the island now in ruins, need assistance to rebuild schools, homes and businesses.

After learning that Andrew and his family survived, with nothing but the clothes on their back, Adrian Paul declared, “I wasn’t surprised to hear my brother say that he wasn’t going to leave but instead help rebuild the island’s infrastructure. It was a massive job, and I was determined to help him any way I could.”

Adrian Paul knew there could only be one path to IMMORTAL AID; he turned to DP/DAMC to help organize a series of auctions to assist with raising funds for the rebuilding effort. The first auction will include original set costumes and props from the HIGHLANDER film and TV sets including Duncan’s leather trench coat, a rare rubber katana and villains’ costumes; personal possessions from Adrian Paul including the La Carrera Pan America race helmet, candid set pictures autographed from various cast, and individually framed photos; and HIGHLANDER collectibles from the Official HIGHLANDER Store. Every item and cash donation will include a thank you certificate signed by a combination of HIGHLANDER Creators and Producers Peter S. Davis & Bill Panzer and/or Adrian Paul.

Peter S. Davis, DP/DAMC’s CEO, expressed “When Adrian shared the miraculous survival story of his brother’s family in light of such a terrible disaster, there was no question—we would assist in any way possible. How could we not?”

The first phase of IMMORTAL AID for the Phi Phi Island Relief Fund will commence with an auction on HLWW on Monday, February 14th and continue through the Friday, February 18th. We are then looking to partner with additional auction sites to continue raising funds for IMMORTAL AID throughout the year. Please contact Sharon Jennings at marketing@davisanderson.com to get involved. 

Adrian Paul is an international actor and peace activist known for his starring role as Duncan MacLeod in "HIGHLANDER: The Series." Born in London, Paul’s success as an actor, with over 300 hours of television, together with several films and plays, makes him recognizable in over 80 countries worldwide. So his love of languages, speaking Italian, French, Spanish and English has allowed him to fulfill his other passion, traveling. In his spare time, Paul founded a charitable organization the P.E.A.C.E (Protect, Educate and  Aid Children Everywhere) Fund, a foundation designed to help ill, abused and  needy children. While busy writing and developing several projects that he soon hopes to produce, he can also be seen in “Moscow Heat”, starring Michael York, the Independent feature “No Way Up”, as well as the television movie “Tides of War”. For additional information, visit www.adrianpaul.net.

Highlander WorldWide (HLWW) is the Official Highlander Fan Club. It is a voluntary, non-profit organization of global HIGHLANDER fans which takes the lead role in the international world of HIGHLANDER and its fandom. HLWW conducts conventions, workshops and tours in Europe, the United States and Australia, maintains a large members' email list, markets a range of merchandise and conducts regular auctions to support its newsletter, events and conventions. HLWW also lobbies television networks and movie houses and distributors to maximize the showing of HIGHLANDER. For additional information, visit www.hlww.org.

Davis-Panzer Productions, Inc. is one of the last fully independent production companies in Hollywood where The Legend and franchise of HIGHLANDER® was borne. Based on the popular HIGHLANDER series starring Sean Connery and Christopher Lambert, the HIGHLANDER television series follows the amazing journeys of the Immortal Duncan MacLeod played by Adrian Paul. The six seasons of the TV show follow the action of the Immortal’s age-old struggle for dominion -- Good vs. Evil. Through it all the mystery of the HIGHLANDER unfolds and deepens as his incredible story leaps time and emotions to bring us further into the tortured world of the Immortals. For additional information, visit the web site at www.davis-panzer.com.  

Davis-Anderson Merchandising Corp, the a multi-award winning global turnkey organization, partnered with Davis-Panzer Productions, Inc., providing merchandising, product development, manufacturing and direct marketing of quality licensed entertainment properties sold direct-to-consumer through catalog, Internet, television, print and inbound/outbound telemarketing. They host eCommerce stores and create print catalogs for properties such as: HIGHLANDER® (Film and TV series), Marvel®, The Lord of the Rings™, Xena: Warrior Princess™, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys™, Alexander™, The Gladiator™, and Conan®. For additional information, visit the web site at www.davisanderson.com.  (The official  HIGHLANDER site is www.HIGHLANDER-Official.com.)