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BART Announces the Return of Kids Ride Free Sponsored by Viz Media

OAKLAND, CA - It's a summer Saturday and the kids are itching to get out
of the house, but the freeways and bridges are a mess and the days of
gas under $3.00 a gallon now seem like a distant, fond memory. What to
do? BART and its partners have the answer: Kids Ride Free Saturdays!

For the month of August, children age twelve and under will be able to
ride BART for free on Saturdays, courtesy of Viz Media, the San
Francisco-based publishing, licensing and animation company that has
brought the well loved POKéMON characters and many other popular series,
such as ZATCH BELL!, NARUTO, INUYASHA and more to the U.S.

"BART is already a great way for parents and their children to get
around the Bay Area without the hassle of car seats, parking and traffic
tie-ups,” said BART Board President Carole Ward Allen in announcing the
program August 3 at Fruitvale Station. “The 'Kids Ride Free Saturdays'
promotion makes BART an even better bargain -and a fun one at that.
We've got exciting, entertaining and economical destinations lined up
for the first three Saturdays and a really fun gift pack on the last
Saturday thanks to Viz Media."

"As a Bay Area based company we are pleased to partner with BART on the
'Kids Ride Free' promotion," says Liza Coppola, Sr. Vice President,
Marketing for Viz Media. " We are also delighted to share the fun of
manga and anime with Bay Area kids through the giveaway of free Kids
Packs."

SPECIAL DESTINATIONS & DISCOUNTS
Like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, each Kids Ride Free
Saturday has a big payoff at a destination. BART has arranged for
special promotional offers from the California Academy of Sciences, the
Oakland A's, and the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus (see
the calendar for details). Viz Media will be distributing free “Kid
Packs” of manga, anime and more to children at Powell Street Station on
August 26th.


IT'S AS EASY AS FLASHING A PASS
Here's how it works: An adult must accompany the children and there is
a maximum of two children riding free per fare-paying adult. The
children show their special Kids Ride Free flash pass to the Station
Agent and enter and exit through the swing gates. The Kids Ride Free
flash passes are available at all BART stations and at most Safeway
stores.


BIG OFFER FOR SMALLEST RIDERS
BART's Kids Ride Free Saturday is the return of a promotional program
that was first tested in Summer 2003. BART found that the special flash
passes are the most effective way to make a big offer to our smallest
riders.

HISTORY OF KIDS RIDE FREE
The Kids Ride Free promotion has been wildly popular with both kids and
parents alike. The promotion ran through the 1980's and into the early
1990's. After a hiatus, BART resumed the program in 2003 on a limited
basis in order to research whether people would still be interested in
the program, and how best to re-launch it.

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