GALA HONORING JOHN, EDMUND AND PETER SHEA
RAISES $1.4 MILLION FOR ALS RESEARCH

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 30, 2006 — The inaugural Tradition of Hope gala tonight raised over $1.4 million for Augie's Quest to Cure ALS, which teams with the Muscular Dystrophy Association to fund research seeking treatments and cures for those with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease).

From left to right: John Shea, Peter Shea, Augie Nieto and Edmund Shea.

The black-tie event at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel honored John, Edmund and Peter Shea of the J.F. Shea Company, and was the largest-ever fund-raising event in California for MDA.

The Sheas were presented with the first Robert Ross Founder's Award, named for the former president and CEO of MDA who died in June after leading the Association for nearly five decades.

Founded in 1881, J.F. Shea Co. Inc. is one the largest privately owned businesses in America. The company was closely involved with construction of American icons such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Hoover Dam and Washington, D.C.’s subway system.

Large photographs of these landmarks served as backdrops for the dazzling evening that included live and silent auctions, music, dinner and dancing. Top auction items included trips to Hawaii, golf with Tom Lehman and a VIP tour of David Copperfield’s personal magic museum, access that is usually limited to celebrities

Augie and Lynne Nieto talk to the crowd at the Tradition of Hope Gala in Los Angeles.

The Sheas have taken a personal interest in Augie's Quest, underscored by their purchase of a Platinum Sponsorship worth $1000,000 for the event.

Augie’s Quest was started by Augie Nieto, a pioneer in the fitness industry, who received a diagnosis of ALS in March 2005. Nieto teamed up with MDA to lead an unparalleled fight to raise money for cutting-edge research for a cure.

“I’m overwhelmed by the generosity of the Shea family, and amazed by the powerful display of support and kindness at this event.” Nieto said of the Tradition of Hope. “Although I am celebrating the night’s success, I’m even more determined to continue the Quest until we stop this wretched disease."

ALS is a progressive disease of the motor neurons – the muscle-controlling nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement. ALS first affects legs, arms and/or throat and mouth muscles but ultimately affects all voluntary muscles, resulting in paralysis. Survival is typically two to five years after diagnosis.

For more information, visit www.augiesquest.org.