The Travelers Companies Inc. has donated $1.25 million to theMartin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation Inc. inWashington, D.C., it was announced.

The St. Paul, Minn.-based company said the gift will help buildthe four-acre memorial on the National Mall and provide support forKids for King, an educational outreach program to schoolsthroughout the country that will culminate with the dedication ofthe memorial in 2010.

"I am pleased to welcome Travelers to the list of supporters tothe Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial," Harry E. JohnsonSr., president and chief executive officer of the MemorialFoundation, said in a statement.

"Now is the time to make history; now is the time for othercorporations and all Americans to follow in the footsteps ofTravelers, to play a role in building a lasting memorial to Dr.King and the ideals of hope, democracy, love and peace for which hestood," Mr. Johnson said.

"Travelers is proud to support the creation of the Martin LutherKing Jr. National Memorial," said Jay Fishman, Travelers chairmanand chief executive officer.

In addition to Travelers, a list of 40 major donors to thefoundation includes insurers State Farm Insurance, AFLAC, CIGNA,MetLife Foundation and Prudential Financial Inc.

The memorial honoring Dr. King will be built on the NationalMall, situated adjacent to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorialand in a direct line between the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials.Congress passed Joint Resolutions in 1996 authorizing establishmentof the memorial. It is expected to be completed in 2010.

Information about the memorial is online atwww.buildthedream.org.