Waddell & Reed Joins Operation: American Pastime Overland Park-Based Company to Sponsor New Program Delivering the Spirit of Baseball to Troops Overseas OVERLAND PARK, Kan., June 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Waddell & Reed and its Kansas City area financial advisors have signed on as major sponsors of Operation: American Pastime, through which U.S. troops stationed overseas will participate in baseball clinics conducted by professional baseball players and be given phone cards to enable them to connect with family and friends here in the United States. Conceived by News Radio 980 KMBZ and KCSP 61 Sports, Operation: American Pastime includes overseas visits by members of the Northern League All-Stars and the distribution of phone cards collected through the Veterans of Foreign Wars, whose national headquarters, like Waddell & Reed's, is in Kansas City. Waddell & Reed, along with the Department of Defense, will help to underwrite travel expenses and will, in addition, purchase phone cards for distribution to the troops. "Our troops certainly deserve our support, and we are grateful to have the chance to help in this effort," said Henry Herrmann, president and chief investment officer for Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc. "We hope that bringing baseball to our troops will help to let them know just how much everyone at home is thinking of them, and that distributing phone cards will help them stay in closer touch with their loved ones." Members of the Northern League All-Stars, KMBZ-AM and KCSP-AM arrived in Germany this past Thursday and will continue to tour U.S. military bases and hospitals through June 16th. The Northern League All-Stars are scheduled to play a pick-up game against members of the U.S. Air Force. Along with phone cards, the Operation: American Pastime team will bring t-shirts, baseball bats and balls, sports jerseys and baseball caps for distribution at each stop. Through its subsidiaries, Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc. provides investment management and financial planning services to clients throughout the United States. Waddell & Reed Investment Management Company serves as investment advisor to the Waddell & Reed Advisors Group of Mutual Funds, W&R Target Funds, Inc. and Waddell & Reed InvestEd Portfolios, Inc., while Waddell & Reed Ivy Investment Company serves as investment advisor to Ivy Funds, Inc. and the Ivy Funds portfolios. Waddell & Reed, Inc. serves as principal underwriter and distributor to the Waddell & Reed Advisors Group of Mutual Funds, W&R Target Funds, Inc. and Waddell & Reed InvestEd Portfolios, Inc., while Ivy Funds Distributor, Inc. serves as principal underwriter and distributor to Ivy Funds, Inc. and the Ivy Funds portfolios. Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, changes and expenses of a fund carefully before investing. For a prospectus containing this and other information for the mutual funds offered by Waddell and Reed, call your financial advisor or visit us online at http://www.waddell.com/ . Please read carefully before investing. DATASOURCE: Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc. CONTACT: Andy Mohn, Vice President, Director of Marketing, of Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc., +1-913-236-1529 Web site: http://www.waddell.com/

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