NEWS RELEASE FROM.....

CLAYTON GILES AND LEGALKIDS.COM

403-720-4003, 403-816-4735

email claytongiles@legalkids.com

Location of hunger strike ending: Court of Queen's Bench, Calgary, Jan.19, 1:00 p.m.

Clayton Giles is a fourteen year old Canadian boy who launched a hunger strike January 1, 2001. He protests the way the courts have made decisions in his parent's divorce that have caused him harm. "The judges don't even want to hear from kids," says Clayton, "they make decisions for us that hurt, but we never get to say a word in the process." Clayton has been living with his father for the past year, but his mother holds the power of sole custody over him. He wants his father to have custody.

"I just hope everyone will keep listening, even after I don't starve myself," says Clayton who has been amazed at the response his hunger strike has received from all over the world. He plans to start eating again at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, January 19, 2001, Day 19 of his hunger strike. "Everyone is worried about my health, especially my dad," says Clayton. "But I felt I had to starve myself in hopes of getting people to listen to the children of this country."

"This is just the beginning for Legalkids," says Clayton who has no intentions of giving up his struggle to make a voice for kids. Clayton is going to walk and bicycle to Ottawa, stopping along the way to collect stories and signatures he hopes to present to the Prime Minister of Canada. Clayton will focus on gaining children the right to be heard in the divorce process. "I do not accept that kids are too young to participate in the divorce process." says Clayton. "Kids may not be able to tell you exactly why they want something, but they can definitely tell you what makes them feel happy. And what makes them happy is maximum contact with both parents regardless of what those parents think about each other."

After his stop in Ottawa, Clayton will continue on to Washington D.C. where he hopes to present similar stories and signatures he has collected along the way to President Bush. "I won't stop in Ottawa," Clayton says, "There are kids in the United States who are in the same boat as I am. We all want to be heard."

Clayton's journey will require a lot of planning. He's inviting anyone who wants to help to write to his website which will continue to be maintained now that the hunger strike is over. "I'm going to need a lot of help" say Clayton, who hopes to fund his 'journey' through donations of time, expertise and money. "After my experience in the divorce system, I can't stand back and do nothing anymore. There are kids out there having the same difficulties as me. I want to do everything I can to change the system so that they can have a voice in their own future. I don't see why that has to be so complicated."