Professional Baseball Great Mariano Rivera Teams With Evolucia To Develop One-of-a-Kind Commemorative LED-Lighted Baseball

SARASOTA, Fla., Sept. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- New York Yankees' pitching legend Mariano Rivera has joined forces with LED (light emitting diode) company, Evolucia Inc. (OTCBB & OTCQB: ILED) to create a one-of-a-kind LED baseball.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130920/CL83577-a)
(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130920/CL83577-b)

With a Major League career 652 saves -- the most all time -- Rivera is famous for his bat-breaking pitch called "the cutter."  Now preparing to retire from baseball, Rivera says he wanted his commemorative baseball to send a message to fans throughout the U.S. and in Latin America: "we can cut energy consumption, reduce pollution and save money by switching to LED lights."

Rivera challenged Sarasota-based Evolucia Inc., an industry pioneer in the design and manufacture of high-performance LED lighting systems, to come up with a regulation-sized baseball that would feature the company's LED lights. Rivera is also a stakeholder in the company.

Guided by CEO Mel Interiano, the company developed an innovative LED-lighted baseball that is the same size and weight as a regulation Major League baseball (9" circumference weighing 138-142 grams). The ball leaves a trail of light as it is thrown, and is powered by a rechargeable battery. The commemorative baseball will go on sale today (Friday) with a portion of the proceeds benefitting Rivera's charitable foundation.

Evolucia is an industry leader and a turn-key solutions provider of high performance LED lighting systems to U.S. and global lighting markets, installing thousands of clean energy LED fixtures at military bases, universities, municipalities, and large commercial entities, helping to save millions of dollars in energy costs.

Rivera, who once told the MLB Network that he grew up in Panama playing with a baseball made of balled-up fabric wrapped in tape, wants to encourage people in the United States and his native Central America to convert to LED lighting technology.

"This is the REAL 'cutter,'" Rivera said of Evolucia's LED lighting products. "By switching to LED lights, we can all cut our electricity bills by 60 to 80 percent. That's important to people here in the United States, and it's vital to those in Panama."

Together with former Red Sox and Mets pitcher Pedro Martinez, a native of the Dominican Republic, Rivera hopes to encourage both Latin American countries to update their lighting systems using the more efficient Evolucia technology. Evolucia is retrofitting his church in New Rochelle, New York, with energy-efficient LED lighting solution, which Rivera says will be the center of his post-retirement life.

For Interiano, the chance to help Rivera commemorate his career was "a dream come true. For 19 years, Mariano Rivera has been an essential part of the Yankees' roster, an incredible asset to his team and much-beloved figure in sports. We are honored to play a part in celebrating one of the greatest pitchers of all time."

The limited-edition LED Baseball includes Rivera's signature number 42, as well as his top Hall of Fame career stats. Each ball is fitted with eight custom embedded Evolucia LED lights that glow a deep navy blue. The LED baseball is available for purchase at www.evolucia.com/mariano.  

About Evolucia Inc.

Evolucia Inc. is an industry pioneer in the design, engineering, manufacture and marketing of high performance LED lighting systems to the global lighting markets. Evolucia received the United States Department of Energy's highest award for lighting within the LED category, and has installed thousands of its fixtures at military bases, universities, municipalities, and large commercial entities. Evolucia's LED lighting products are sold under the brand, Evolucia  (www.evolucia.com).

All Evolucia products offer highly energy efficient, durable, commercial-grade LED lighting for both indoor and outdoor applications. The company's award winning cobra head and shoe box fixtures employ Evolucia's proprietary Aimed Optics™ technology, which increases light levels and visibility by strategically directing light to the target area. Evolucia fixtures require 50% to 80% less energy than traditional lighting and last for approximately 12 years without maintenance.

More information about Evolucia Inc. and its LED lighting systems is available in the company's Securities and Exchange filings, which can be found at www.sec.gov or at www.evolucia.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Some of the statements made by Evolucia in this press release are forward-looking in nature. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements. Evolucia believes that its primary risk factors include, but are not limited to: development and maintenance of strategic acquisitions; domestic and international acceptance of our product lines; defending our intellectual property and proprietary rights; development of new products and services that meet customer demands and generate acceptable margins; successfully completing commercial testing of new technologies and systems to support new products and services; and attracting and retaining qualified management and other personnel. Additional information concerning these and other important factors can be found within Evolucia's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in this press release should be evaluated in light of these important factors.

SOURCE Evolucia Inc.