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GAP Employee's Volunteer Efforts Wins Global Founders Award
$50,000 Grant Provided to Abilities, Inc. for Job Training to People with Disabilities

September 21, 2006

Albertson, NY : Gap Inc. will award Constantina Petallides-Markou, a Gap associate store manager in Bayside, NY, with a $50,000 grant and 80 hours of paid time off in recognition of her community service as the winner of the second annual Founders' Award. Constantina 'Tina to her friends' will be honored for her community service work with Abilities, Inc., a non-profit organization that helps people with disabilities transition into the workforce. The grant and paid time off will be used to modernize Abilities, Inc.'s mock retail store where youths and adults with disabilities learn key retail skills to gain successful employment.

"I grew up with many friends and family members who had disabilities, and I witnessed firsthand the struggles they faced when looking for a job," said Tina. "The training at the mock store provides real world experience that helps people to find solid, meaningful jobs and enables them to excel in these positions."

Tina, a 17-year Gap employee, was one of more than 100 Gap Inc. employees from nine countries in the running for the company's annual Founders' Award.

Tina plans to add new merchandise, update the check-out area and create a more realistic retail atmosphere for the mock store at Abilities, Inc. Additionally, Tina is creating a job-shadowing program at her Gap store location in Bayside. She will also continue holding seminars for Abilities, Inc. students on interviewing, networking and resume writing to help students return to the workforce and make a good first impression.

"Tina is a glowing example of someone who not only volunteers her time, but also brings important real-world knowledge about a skill set we are teaching," said Anita Zimmerman, manager, Employment Services, Abilities, Inc. "She has been invaluable to our retail training program, and with her additional commitment through Gap Inc.'s Founders Award, we are excited to work with Tina to take the program to a whole new level."

"On behalf of Abilities, Inc., I would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Tina for all of the selfless hours she has volunteered to our organization and for enabling us to receive the Gap Inc.'s Founders Award. The award provides us with both the financial resources and retail expertise to renovate our retail employment training facility to better replicate today's modern retail world," stated Edmund Cortez, President and CEO, Abilities!. "We applaud the Gap as a longtime supporter and employer of people with disabilities and for their commitment to the National Business & Disability Council."

Tina first connected with Abilities, Inc. five years ago at an Americans with Disabilities Act conference, and has volunteered with them ever since. As a hiring associate manager at a Gap store, Tina understands the importance of customer service and merchandising training and wanted to share her expertise with Abilities, Inc. participants.

"In the past, persons with disabilities were at a disadvantage to their non-disabled peers when it came to workplace hiring," stated Francine Tishman, President and COO, Abilities, Inc. "Now, thanks to Tina's commitment, which enabled Abilities, Inc. to receive the GAP Founders Award, we will be able to provide our students with a state-of-the-art retail employment training facility. This is crucial to providing a competitive advantage to the students with disabilities who participate in this program. The program will provide for hands on experience using state of the art equipment and providing real world experience in a simulated retail environment."

"We encourage our employees to dedicate themselves to causes that are meaningful to them," said Bobbi Silten, chief foundation officer of Gap Inc. "Tina took her retail experience and found a way to improve the lives of people with disabilities in her community, so we're proud to honor her with the 2006 Founders' Award."

The Founders' Award was established in honor of the philanthropic example of Gap Inc.'s founders, Doris and Don Fisher. Last year's award was granted to Sarah Heitkamp, a Gap store manager in Grand Forks, ND, who created a program that provides travel, lodging and nutritional assistance to cancer patients who travel to the Altru Cancer Center.

About Gap Inc.

Gap Inc. is a leading international specialty retailer offering clothing, accessories and personal care products for men, women, children and babies under the Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy and Forth & Towne brand names. Fiscal 2005 sales were $16.0 billion. Gap Inc. operates about 3,000 stores in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France and Japan. For more information, please visit gapinc.com.

About Abilities, Inc. (an affiliate of Abilities!)

For almost 50 years, Abilities, Inc. has trained people with disabilities in the skills needed to perform at industry standards to meet current workforce demands. Abilities, Inc. evaluates, trains and serves over 6,000 individuals and places approximately 1,500 into competitive jobs each year. Its track record is unsurpassed in the excellence of our training programs and the success of our participants in finding jobs.

Abilities, Inc. staff works with individuals to develop and focus on their unique abilities that can be applied to the career of their choice. Courses are designed to increase the independence and marketability of individuals with disabilities. While addressing different skills development, all of the courses are designed to increase the number of individuals with disabilities who secure competitive employment.

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