WHEN THE NATION AND THE WORLD WERE SHOCKED BY THE TERRORIST ATTACKS IN NEW YORK, WASHINGTON AND NEAR PITTSBURGH ON SEPTEMBER 11, THE TIMES SQUARE OLIVE GARDEN IN THE HEART OF MANHATTAN SHUT DOWN NORMAL OPERATIONS AND BECAME A RELIEF STATION FOR TIRED AND HUNGRY FIREFIGHTERS, POLICEMEN AND LOCAL RESIDENTS WHO WERE WITHOUT POWER, WATER AND BASIC NECESSITIES. New York City police officers and a server from the Times Square Olive Garden carry donated food headed for relief workers at “Ground Zero,” site of the World Trade Center disaster.   Red Lobster restaurants near Washington took food to fire stations, blood banks, Red Cross centers and the Port Authority Police at Dulles Airport. Bahama Breeze and Smokey Bones locations also fed public servants and blood bank workers around the country, and the Restaurant Support Center in Orlando, FL, raised more than $50,000 in one day for the American Red Cross, including matching funds from the Darden Restaurants Foundation. In addition, all Darden restaurants across North America participated in Dine Out for America, contributing 100% of their profits from October 11 – nearly $1.5 million – to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. For more than 30 years, Darden volunteers have been among the first to serve whenever there’s a need in the community. In fact, throughout our Company’s existence two strong threads have woven together our diverse community of restaurants: our commitment to being a premier restaurant company and our commitment to giving back to the communities in which we operate. Both are equally important and form the touchstone of our Company’s culture. We believe in taking an active role in shaping the quality of life in our communities. We see our communities across the country as more than just business locations. We have put down roots, live in our communities, raise our families there and have a stake in improving the quality of life there. From our earliest days as a company, back when there was just one Red Lobster in one little town in Florida, our founder and namesake Bill Darden set the tone for the kind of company we would become. Bill believed in being a good neighbor and doing whatever he could to contribute to his community. We’ve continued to build on this legacy in the years since. Through corporate and restaurant giving, the Darden Restaurants Foundation and the Darden Environmental Trust, in partnership with our employees, business partners and community organizations, we contributed more than $9 million to our communities in fiscal 2002. We focus our philanthropy on four key areas: education, arts and culture, social services and nutrition, and environmental and natural resources. We’re especially interested in programs that foster diversity and fairness. No community can thrive unless all its citizens play an active role and have the opportunity to flourish. We are also particularly interested in supporting programs and organizations in which our employees volunteer. In communities large and small throughout the country, Darden employees are actively answering the call to get involved, give back, and make a difference. We strongly believe our employees’ volunteer efforts are critical in creating strong, vital communities, and our philanthropy program allows us to enhance their efforts. Money alone cannot solve the pressing issues facing our communities. But combining the financial resources of our philanthropy program with the hands-on work of our employees multiplies the efforts of both, creating far-reaching and lasting effects. We are proud of our record as responsible corporate citizens, as represented by some key projects we supported in fiscal 2002: SUPPORTING KIDS; FEEDING FAMILIES Boys & Girls Clubs An increasing number of children are on their own after school with no adult supervision and little companionship. Boys & Girls Clubs of America provide kids a safe, fun place to learn, a place where they can receive the care, guidance, and nurturing children need to grow and thrive. The clubs offer a variety of programs aimed at addressing today’s most pressing youth issues. continued>