PRESS RELEASE

Chase Merritt’s Real Estate Survivor’s Holiday Bash Raises $50,000
for Wounded Veterans

More than 400 guests bring the French Riviera to Newport Beach

Newport Beach, Calif. — December 18, 2009 — More than 400 real estate professionals celebrated the Holidays Monte Carlo-style, raising in excess of $50,000 for wounded veterans. The first annual event, titled the Real Estate Survivor’s Holiday Bash, was hosted by Newport Beach-based real estate investment firm Chase Merritt at the Balboa Bay Club.

The Monte Carlo casino-themed evening brought the French Riviera to the Newport Beach, where the region’s leading real estate professionals enjoyed the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade, live entertainment, dancing, casino gaming and prizes.

“We are proud to say that the biggest winner of this casino night was the charity and the veterans it serves.” said Chad Horning, president and chief executive officer of Chase Merritt. “This event demonstrates the strength of the local real estate industry and its commitment to giving back to the community.”

Proceeds from the event benefited Higher Ground, a veteran’s charity helping severely wounded members of the armed forces, and the first beneficiary of Chase Merritt’s nonprofit entity, CHASE MERRITT for Charities.

CHASE MERRITT for Charities was founded by Chase Merritt in 2009. Its first beneficiary, Higher Ground is a program designed to use sports and recreation as a means of therapy, healing and rehabilitation for men and women of the armed forces who have been severely wounded abroad. Its goal is to build physical skills and confidence as well as to provide a fun, healthy and meaningful experience to help wounded warriors more easily transition into their home and communities, or back into military service.

Premier event sponsors were Transwestern, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, Buchanan Street Partners, Straddling Yocca, Hybrid Air and Core Advisors.