NEW YORK, Aug 28, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Michael Phelps -- a 14-time Olympic gold
medalist -- today teamed with Visa Inc. (NYSE:
V), a Worldwide Olympic Partner for more than two decades, to present a
Play Every Day jump-start grant to the YMCA of Greater New York. The
funds will help the YMCA expand participation in its 2nd
Grade Swim program, purchase new swimming equipment, and also support
aquatic facility expansions in Brooklyn and Queens.

Today's announcement is a continuation of Visa
and its family of Olympic athletes ongoing commitment to the Partnership
for Play Every Day -- an effort to raise
national awareness and support for increasing and improving the spaces
where America's youth can play.

"For America's kids,
the time to play and swim is today," said
Phelps. "We need everyone's
help in providing all kids with safe and well-equipped spaces where they
can exercise, have fun and maybe even begin to pursue their own Olympic
dreams."

The Partnership for Play Every Day brings together organizations
including nonprofits, businesses and government agencies to ensure that
all children get at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day.
Federal funding for local parks, playgrounds, trails and open spaces has
decreased in recent years, and one of the partnership's
objectives is to increase the number of settings where kids can engage
in physical activity.

"As a longtime Olympic sponsor, we're
committed to empowering current and future Olympic team hopefuls to
reach for and achieve their dreams," said
Hans Morris, president, Visa Inc. "We believe
in the Play Every Day call to action and saw an opportunity to involve
Michael in an initiative that addresses a growing issue and will
introduce more kids to Olympic sports."

Visa has had a long standing relationship with Michael Phelps through
its Team Visa program, featuring him in Olympic marketing materials
around the world including four national television commercials, and
partnering with him to grow the sport of swimming around the world
through domestic and international goodwill tours.

This marks the fourth jump-start grant presented to the partnership
since Visa began supporting and promoting the Partnership for Play Every
Day initiative at the one-year countdown to the Beijing Olympic Games in
August 2007. Previous grants were made in New York, Washington D.C. and
San Francisco.

"We are delighted that Visa, Michael Phelps,
and the YMCA understand the importance of teaching children how to swim
and to have a respect for water at an early age,"
said Dennis M. Walcott, Deputy Mayor for Education and Community
Development. "Swimming can teach discipline,
develop focus and enhance self confidence among children at an early
age. By expanding Second Grade Swim, more students can develop these
skills earlier which can go a long way in helping them to become strong
students as well as strong swimmers."

"We're thrilled to
have Visa and Michael Phelps on the Partnership for Play Every Day team,"
said Jack Lund, president & CEO of the YMCA of Greater New York. "To
reach our ultimate goal of getting America's
youth moving, we need influential voices like these to rally all
Americans around increasing the spaces and places where our kids can
play. Through this support we're able to
expand participation in our youth swimming program and continue to
ensure that no child will be turned away due to capacity or financial
limitations."

About Visa

Visa Inc. operates the world's largest retail electronic payments
network providing processing services and payment product platforms.
This includes consumer credit, debit, prepaid and commercial payments,
which are offered under the Visa, Visa Electron, Interlink and PLUS
brands. Visa enjoys unsurpassed acceptance around the world, and
Visa/PLUS is one of the world's largest global ATM networks, offering
cash access in local currency in more than 170 countries. For more
information, visit www.corporate.visa.com.

About the Partnership for Play Every Day

In a voluntary and collaborative initiative of unprecedented scope, the
National Recreation and Park Association, the YMCA of the USA, and the
National Association for Sport and Physical Education are working
together as conveners of The Partnership for Play Every Day to
increase the spaces and quality of play for our country's
children and youth. These organizations have a proud legacy of providing
physical education, physical activity, childcare, after school programs
and youth sports to millions of children throughout the country. The
challenge today is to reach all our kids, especially those who aren't
afforded these same opportunities. Through this dynamic collaboration
with more than 30 of the nation's leading
non-profits, government agencies, academic organizations and
corporations, we can create and sustain the momentum for a national
movement to ensure that all kids get 60 minutes of physical activity
every day. www.playeveryday.org

SOURCE: Visa Inc.

Fleishman-Hillard 
Steve Hickok, 212-453-2353 
hickoks@fleishman.com 
or 
Fleishman-Hillard 
J.J. Carter, 415-318-4161 
jj.carter@fleishman.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008