Fannie Mae Foundation Celebrates 20th Annual Help the Homeless Walkathon

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- On Saturday, November 17, tens of thousands of walkers joined together on the National Mall to participate in the Fannie Mae Foundation's 20th annual Help the Homeless Walkathon. In this 20th year, the Foundation has joined with cities across the country, including Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles and Seattle, to raise the nation's awareness around preventing and ending homelessness.

Fannie Mae Foundation's Help the Homeless Program -- the largest of its kind -- has raised more than $62 million since its inception in 1987, raised homelessness prevention awareness, and has helped hundreds of organizations in the metropolitan area work towards long-term solutions.

Daniel H. Mudd, Chairman of the Fannie Mae Foundation and President and CEO of Fannie Mae, Stacey D. Stewart, Senior Vice President of Fannie Mae's Office of Community and Charitable Giving, and singer songwriter Michael McDonald, Help the Homeless Walkathon National Honorary Chair, kicked-off the eight-city national effort in Washington, D.C. Following the walk, the Walkathon participants were entertained with performances on the National Mall hosted by Michael McDonald, Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish, and Musical Director BeBe Winans.

"Thanks to the tens of thousands of people who turned out to make the 20th Annual Help the Homeless Walkathon the biggest ever," said Dan Mudd, President and CEO of Fannie Mae and Chairman of the Fannie Mae Foundation. "Through all the Help the Homeless activities this year, nearly 100,000 people helped to raise money and awareness for the families and children in America who still lack a safe, stable roof over their heads. Fannie Mae and the Fannie Mae Foundation have made preventing and ending homelessness a pillar of our affordable housing mission."

"Fannie Mae is pleased to see that the Foundation's annual Help the Homeless Program extended to an additional seven cities and help build the framework for homelessness awareness nationwide," said Stewart D. Stewart, Senior Vice President of Fannie Mae's Office of Community and Charitable Giving. "Michael McDonald's well-documented commitment to charities positioned him as the perfect fit to serve as this year's Honorary Chair."

"I was proud to be the Chair of the Fannie Mae Foundation's 20th annual Help the Homeless event," said McDonald. "Homelessness is becoming a bigger issue across our country, and the eight cities participating in this year's program serve as role models for others to bring attention to this problem. Our hope is that by raising awareness, we can make ending homelessness a national priority."

As part of this year's national effort, each city coordinated its own unique event, and in some cases week-long events, in partnership with their Mayors and other community coalitions to call attention to local problems, as well as highlight programs and solutions that can make a difference.

Last year, the Fannie Mae Foundation Help the Homeless Program raised more than $8 million for provider organizations in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Over 30,000 walkers participated in the traditional Saturday before Thanksgiving National Mall walk. Another 86,000 residents took part in over 640 mini-walks in schools, community centers and places of worship.

Please visit our website at www.helpthehomelessdc.org.

The Fannie Mae Foundation is a private nonprofit organization, supported solely by Fannie Mae, that creates affordable homeownership and housing opportunities across the United States. The mission of the Fannie Mae Foundation Help the Homeless program is to raise awareness of the issue of homelessness and to increase resources for organizations working to prevent and end homelessness across the United States. The Help the Homeless program also fosters volunteerism in service to homeless people and those at risk of becoming homeless.

STYLE USAGE: The Fannie Mae Foundation is a separate legal entity from Fannie Mae (a NYSE-listed company). In order to facilitate clarity and avoid confusion, news organizations are asked to refer to the Foundation exclusively as "the Fannie Mae Foundation" or "the Foundation," but not as "Fannie Mae."