LOUISVILLE, KY - Twelve-year-old McKenzie Jordheim won more than her mother's heart when she designed a Mother's Day card in school last fall. The sixth-grader from Fargo, N.D. was chosen from thousands of students as this year's national winner in KFC's "All-American Salute to Mothers" national card contest and has her card on sale at Hallmark Gold Crown stores through Mother's Day - Sunday, May 9.

One of the country's hottest TV moms, Catherine Hicks ("Annie Camden" from the critically acclaimed series 7th Heaven) will unveil McKenzie's card at Universal Studios Hollywood on Thursday, May 6. The season finale of 7th Heaven airs Monday, May 10. The show attributes its success to providing wholesome programming that parents feel good about their kids watching. Each episode features moral and ethical solutions to every day challenges teens and families face. While playing the mom of seven on TV, Hicks is also the 'real-life' mom to her seven-year-old daughter Catie.

McKenzie's card features a brightly-colored, mosaic heart on the cover and reads,

"Over the years
I've come to know on you I can depend
Whether I need a mentor, or whether I need a friend.
I see the stars rising high above,
And know they could never amount to your love.
And the sun casting off light
Could never be as bright.
Happy Mother's Day."

Save the Children Donation
For every winning Mother's Day card sold, KFC will donate $1.00 (up to a $10,000 total contribution) to Save the Children's Kosovo crisis relief effort. KFC's Mother's Day donation will enable Save the Children to send "family kits," which contain food, diapers, medical supplies and clothing, to children and families in Albania and Montenegro. The contribution also will be used to initiate educational programs to help restore normalcy and structure to the lives of the children affected by this crisis.

"Colonel Sanders held a special place in his heart for children," said Chuck Rawley, KFC president and chief operating officer. "We hope that through this donation we can help make the lives of the Kosovar families more bearable during this crisis."

Card Contest
As the national winner, McKenzie won a trip with her mom, Mary, to Los Angeles on May 6 to attend the official unveiling of her Mother's Day card at Universal Studios Hollywood with Catherine Hicks; a $5,000 cash prize; and a variety of educational materials.

McKenzie's card and the second- and third-place winners are featured in the May 11th issue of Family Circle magazine, which is currently on sale. The other winners include:

• Second place ($1,500 cash prize): Alyssa Uppiano, Onalaska, Wis.
• Third place ($750 cash prize): Jenna Gerberding, San Jose, Calif.
  Seven fourth-place winners ($500 cash prize each):
• Dan Olson, Montgomery, Ala.
• Garrett Simpson, Mary Esther, Fla.
• Carly Wilkins, Mt. Airy, Md.
• Chelsey Todd, Pleasant Valley, Mo.
• Anna d'Entremont, Aiken, S.C.
• John Ross Howard, Gatlinburg, Tenn.
• Melissa Watkins, Houston, Texas

Winners also were named from each state, including the District of Columbia, and each receives a Picture Atlas of the World, Picture Atlas of Prehistoric Life, and $25 in KFC gift certificates to take their moms out to dinner on Mother's Day.

Each of the winning cards, including McKenzie's, can be viewed on KFC's web site at www.kfc.com. On-line users may select any of the cards, write their own personal messages and send it to their cyber-savvy moms via e-mail free of charge.

KFC's Mother's Day program is much more than a card contest. Last fall, KFC sent Mother's Day educational kits to elementary schools across the country. The educational kits encouraged students to explore their relationships with their mothers while incorporating social studies, language and art exercises. The students also learned about the history of Mother's Day and the evolving role of women in society. The curriculum culminated with thousands of fourth, fifth and sixth graders making their own Mother's Day cards as part of the contest.

KFC®, based in Louisville, Ky., is the world's most popular chicken restaurant chain specializing in Original Recipe®, Extra Crispy™ and Colonel's Crispy Strips® chicken with home-style sides. Since its founding by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1952, KFC has been serving customers delicious, already-prepared complete family meals at affordable prices. There are more than 10,300 KFC outlets in 83 countries around the world serving nearly eight million customers each day. KFC is a subsidiary of Tricon, Louisville, Ky. (NYSE: YUM)