DALLAS -- The Dallas Mavericks, Bayer Corporation and the VHA family of companies (VHA HPPI and Novation) have teamed up with the Dallas Independent School District (DISD) to bring students at James B. Bonham Elementary School Bayer's "Making Science Make Sense" program. This year's event tipped off on Friday, April 6th.

Mavs Man entertained the students prior to the experimentation.

These partners have joined forces for the second consecutive year to bring "Making Science Make Sense," Bayer's company-wide initiative that advances science literacy through hands-on, inquiry-based learning, employee volunteerism and public education, to Dallas students. Specifically, the program is designed to support the science education reform initiative currently underway throughout DISD K-12 schools.

The event on Friday featured a welcome from James Bonham Principal Gilbert Gonzalez, Director of Corporate Resources for Bayer Health Care Partners Jim Prelaske, Novation President Mark McKenna, and Mavericks President & CEO Terdema Ussery, as well as an appearance by Mavs Man, the official mascot of the Dallas Mavericks. Following the introduction, 30 students will receive instruction on how to perform various experiments.

"The employee volunteers of VHA, HPPI and Novation are excited to have the opportunity to teach young students about the importance of science. As healthcare companies, we know how vital science is to what we do in our jobs and in our everyday lives," said McKenna, president of Novation. "We look forward to working with Bayer Health Care Partners, the Dallas Mavericks and the DISD as we 'Make Science Make Sense' for the students of James Bonham."

"As a science-based company, we at Bayer understand the cognitive effects that hands-on, inquiry-based learning has on students," said Rebecca Lucore, executive director of the Bayer Foundation. "So we are deeply committed to supporting the kind of quality hands-on learning that will help develop in today's students the skills they will need for tomorrow's world."

Mavs President/CEO Terdema Ussery spoke to the kids about the Mavs and the importance of learning science..

"The Mavs are committed to supporting the education of our youth," said Ussery. "Our involvement in this program further emphasizes to students the need to be diverse in their pursuits which will better prepare them for future endeavors."

At the elementary school level, employee volunteers from Bayer and VHA will regularly visit classrooms to work with students and teachers as they learn science through a hands-on, inquiry-based approach. At the high school level, Bayer and the Mavericks have awarded two $2,000 scholarships to seniors who are interested in pursuing a career in science and technology. This year's winners -- Ben Cassmer, Northwest High School; Shaun Stewart, Denison High School; Dee Ann Stout, Arlington High School and James Sulak, The High School for Science and Engineering Professionals at Dunbar -- were recognized and received a picture with Mavs forward Dirk Nowitzki during halftime of the Mavs vs. Timberwolves game on March 15th.

James B. Bonham Elementary School is located at 2617 N. Henderson, Dallas, TX 75206. Directions from Downtown Dallas: Take 75 north and exit at Knox-Henderson. Turn left onto N. Henderson.

About Bayer Corporation
Bayer Corporation is a research-based company with major businesses in health care and life sciences and chemicals. The company had 1999 sales of $8.9 billion and employs approximately 22,000 people. Bayer Corporation is investing $9 billion in capital expenditures and research and development from 2000 through the year 2004. Capital investment and R&D expenditures from 2000 are projected to total $1.6 billion. Bayer Corporation, with headquarters in Pittsburgh, is a member of the worldwide Bayer Group, a $29 billion international life sciences, polymers and specialty chemicals group based in Leverkusen, Germany.

Ussery assisted in some of the experiments.

About the Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks were founded in 1980 as an expansion team of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A founding tenant of Reunion Arena, the team plays a total of 41 regular season home games between November and April. The Mavs players and staff members understand the importance of being involved in the community. The formation of the Dallas Mavericks Foundation in 1996 underscores the fact that the franchise is committed to Metroplex charities. During the 1999-2000, the Foundation contributed $125,747 to scholarships and Metroplex organizations that benefit youth up to age 18. For more information on the Mavericks, visit dallasmavericks.com.

About the VHA family of companies
VHA Inc. is a nationwide network of more than 2,100 leading community-owned health care organizations and their affiliated physicians. The VHA alliance comprises 27 percent of the nation's community hospitals, including many of the nation's largest and most respected institutions. VHA offers programs and services to improve financial and clinical performance, and as a cooperative distributes income annually to members based on their participation. In December 2000, VHA was named one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" for the second consecutive year by Fortune. For more information, go to www.vha.com.

Based in Irving, Texas, Novation, the supply company of VHA and University HealthSystem Consortium, is the largest supply cost management company in health care and manages more than $16 billion in annual purchases. For more information, go to www.novationco.com.

HealthCare Purchasing Partners International? (HPPI?), Irving, Texas, is a group purchasing organization serving more than 5,500 members. For more information, go to www.hppigpo.com.

About DISD
The Dallas Independent School District (DISD) is the 10th largest school district in the nation, serving 160,000 students in 218 schools. For more information on DISD, visit http://www.dallas.isd.tenet.edu.