Wells Real Estate Funds to Observe "Earth Hour"

Wells Real Estate Funds to Observe “Earth Hour” on March 28
Buildings Going Dark to Promote Environmental Awareness

March 24, 2009 11:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

NORCROSS, Ga.--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Wells Real Estate Funds, a nationally recognized leader in real estate investing, will turn out the lights at properties nationwide this Saturday in observance of Earth Hour.

Homes, companies and cities around the world will go dark for one hour, starting at 8:30 p.m., to promote environmental awareness, in an effort founded by the World Wildlife Fund. Wells is based in the suburbs of Atlanta, one of Earth Hour’s key cities.

Wells specializes in Class-A office properties; its investment programs own 117 buildings nationwide. Wells intends to darken its owned-and-operated buildings, and the company also has invited tenants at some three dozen net-leased buildings to do likewise. Participating Wells buildings in Saturday’s Earth Hour event will include 222 E. 41st Street in Manhattan, 100 East Pratt Street in Baltimore, 5 Houston Center, and the Key Center tower in Cleveland.

“We are proud to join this worldwide call for environmental awareness,” said Don Henry, chief real estate officer for Wells. “This is our second year as a supporting company of Earth Hour, and our tenants and staff are excited about this opportunity to display our shared environmental commitment.”

WWF bills Earth Hour as the largest global climate event in history. An estimated 50 million people worldwide participated in 2008.

In keeping with Earth Hour, Wells buildings will turn off interior and exterior lights between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. local time, except for lighting that is essential for safety or tenant commitments.

Wells is a certified ENERGY STAR® partner and has earned ENERGY STAR recognition at 23 of its properties nationwide in the past two years. Wells’ portfolios also include five LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) buildings.

Since its founding in 1984, Wells Real Estate Funds has invested more than $12 billion in real estate for more than 250,000 investors. Wells funds include REITs, mutual funds and other commercial real estate investment vehicles. For more information, see http://www.wellsref.com/.

Contacts
Rubenstein Communications
Josh Hamilton, 212-843-8304