RUGS & MORE HELPS TIBETAN EXILES & REFUGEES Santa Barbara Merchant is Long Supporter of Tibetan Cause (SANTA BARBARA, CA – April 11, 2008) Long before current Tibetan-Chinese tensions made headlines, Michael Kourosh, owner of Rugs and More, Santa Barbara, was quietly lending a hand to Tibetan refugees. An importer and manufacturer of high quality rugs and textiles from exotic ports of call in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, Kourosh came face to face with the Tibetan issue when he met philanthropist Chris Walters eighteen years ago. “Chris and I were doing business together,” Kourosh recalls, “and he began telling me about Tibetan refugees and their needs. He was passionate about helping them.” According to Kourosh, Walters has devoted his considerable energies, business talent, and wealth to benefit the people along long-established rug trade routes: Pakistan, India, Turkey, and the Tibetan Plateau in particular. “His life is about charity,” says Kourosh. “He’s a great guy.” Tibetan rugs are some of the most sought-after in the world for their superior wool, natural dyes, and unique designs. Kourosh encountered Walters when he was buying rugs for his gallery. The philanthropist suggested that he become a distributor for Zamling Carpets, which had been set up specifically to aid the Tibetan cause. Kourosh was impressed by the plan, “The Tibetans would continue making a living in their traditional way - weaving beautiful rugs - and we would donate all profits, excluding those we would reinvest in carpet production, to assists Tibetan refugees become economically self-sufficient.” Zamling’s Tibetan Project’s successes include schooling Tibetan exile children living in Nepal and India and reforesting damaged forest lands in Tibet, along with other projects benefitting the native Tibetan community worldwide. Over the years, Kourosh’s sales of Zamling Carpets at his Rugs & More gallery in Santa Barbara have provided needed funds to native Tibetans, whose plight is again in the spotlight. Until now, Kourosh has supported their cause without fanfare. His concerns about escalating Chinese-Tibetan hostilities leading up to the Beijing Olympics this August have prompted him to step up his efforts, encouraging others to learn about the situation. In addition to being a respected charitable vehicle for the Tibetan Project, Zamling Carpets has achieved recognition for revitalizing Tibetan rug-making by promoting traditional designs and using chemical-free washes and pure vegetable dyes. Woven without child labor, the . Rugs & More Supports Tibetan Cause April 2008 Release Page 2 of 2 carpets are crafted from rare handspun Tibetan wool, prized because its inner luster enhances, rather than diminishing, over years of use. Rugs & More not only has donated gallery space to these handmade rugs, the shop also offers them to the public at wholesale prices. Kourosh shows off his assemblage of the handsome rugs enthusiastically. The variety of designs in stock is broad. Running from lively folk to elegant contemporary, they include the popular “Endless Knot: and “Heart of Buddha.” Available in four hundred colors, they may be ordered in custom designs, sizes, shapes, and colors at no additional charge. “Newcomers to the rugs are typically surprised at their beauty and quality,” says Kourosh. “Supporting the Tibetans by supporting their work is a win-win way for us to help.” Rugs & More – 1117 State Street – Santa Barbara, CA 93101 – T 805.962.2166 – www.rugandmore.com Located directly across from Santa Barbara Museum of Art in the Santa Barbara Performing Arts Center District, Rugs & More is internationally recognized as a preferred source for the world’s finest rugs by designers, interior decorators & celebrities. The 12000 square foot gallery has the largest and most comprehensive collection of new, antique and collectible oriental rugs in the western United States. Hand-selected by owner Michael Kourosh, they serve as a tribute to the exotic and mystical beauty of their countries of origin. Rugs & More offerings include antique tribal and collectible rugs, textiles and tapestries, flat woven Kelims and needle points are hand-knotted, woven in silk and wool of the highest quality and unique in design and rarity. Of museum quality, our collection bespeaks superb craftsmanship and breathtaking patterns.