Grammy Award Winner Ashanti Joins Washington And More In Boys & Girls Clubs Of America's Youth Advocacy Campaign

As part of Boys & Girls Clubs of America's (BGCA) new advocacy campaign - BE GREAT - Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter, actress and Boys & Girls Club alum Ashanti will unveil a new billboard in Times Square on August 11, featuring her childhood picture and an aspirational message - BE AMAZING. Ashanti joins some 25 prominent alumni in the new advocacy campaign to help increase public awareness and understanding about the key issues facing America's youth, and the positive impact of Clubs.

From academic failure and gang violence to poverty, drugs and obesity, America's young people face a daunting array of problems - with serious consequences and fewer safety nets at home and in the community.

According to a 2007 BGCA alumni survey conducted by Harris Interactive, 57 percent of alumni reported, "The Club saved my life," while another 28 percent credited Boys & Girls Clubs with keeping them in school.

"Growing up in the Club gave me the opportunity to explore many interests and talents, including dancing and singing, that have profoundly influenced my life," said Ashanti. "The adult staff at the Club in Glen Cove challenged us to excel, and instilled positive values that still influence me as an adult. It's an honor to join our alumni ambassadors in talking about the impact Boys & Girls Clubs have on young people, because I'm one of them."

Ashanti's theme - BE AMAZING - ties to her success as a performer, from a very early age. She learned to dance on the stage of the Boys & Girls Club in Glen Cove, Long Island, just a few miles east of Manhattan. Her mother, Tina Douglas, taught dance classes at the Club for 20 years. Nicknamed the "Princess of Hip Hop," Ashanti began writing songs in high school. Her album, Ashanti, hit the #1 spot on both the Billboard Top 200 and R&B charts and received a Grammy for best contemporary R&B album. She starred in such feature films as John Tucker Must Die, Coach Carter, and Resident Evil Extinction. TV credits include the Muppets Wizard of Oz, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Vegas, and American Dreams. Her book of poetry Foolish/Unfoolish is available at Hyperion Books. In 2008, she partnered with jeweler Cartier on a "Love" bracelet benefiting BGCA. Recently, Ashanti made her theatrical debut starring as "Dorothy" in the Encores! production of The Wiz.

Other Club alumni joining Ashanti in the BE GREAT advocacy campaign include: Academy Award-winning actor and national spokesperson for BGCA - Denzel Washington, Muhammad Ali, Swin Cash, Gen. Wesley Clark, Bill Clinton, Bill Cosby, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Michael Jordan, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Queen Latifah, Mario Lopez, John Mellencamp, Edward James Olmos, Shaquille O'Neal, Smokey Robinson, Jimmy Rollins, Martin Sheen, John Singleton, Ruben Studdard, Usher, Courtney Vance, Mark Wahlberg, and Kerry Washington.

"We are very excited about Ashanti joining the BE GREAT campaign, and her willingness to help us impact the lives of the young people who need us most," said BGCA President and CEO Roxanne Spillett. "Her story is a textbook case of how the Boys & Girls Club experience can help shape a life, and we are so proud of all that she has accomplished, and all she will continue to do on behalf of the young people following in her footsteps."

Ashanti will collaborate with BGCA and other alumni to urge the country's political and business leaders to make the young people of America a priority and encourage every citizen to make a difference by supporting organizations such as Boys & Girls Clubs - ensuring that every child has a safe, supervised and structured environment during the critical after-school hours.

BE GREAT is a nationwide initiative by Boys & Girls Clubs of America to highlight the major issues affecting today's young people, and the key role community-based organizations like Boys & Girls Clubs play in helping kids graduate from high school, achieve a healthy lifestyle and develop good character traits. The integrated campaign, created pro bono by McCann Worldgroup in San Francisco, focuses on successful alumni who serve as living proof that Club programs work. It includes a new Web site (www.BeGreatAmerica.org) where the general public can find useful resources and compelling stories about the diverse lives touched by Boys & Girls Clubs. The site also includes a Club locator to help visitors find a nearby Boys & Girls Club where every child is welcome and volunteer support is appreciated.

The billboard featuring Ashanti is the latest in a series of ads depicting the childhood photos of Club alumni, the BE GREAT message and Web address. Thanks to a partnership with the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA), the lead trade association representing the outdoor advertising industry, thousands of

billboard ads will be donated by local companies across the country. In New York, Clear Channel Spectacolor will debut the Ashanti BE AMAZING message on an electronic billboard in Times Square at Broadway and 47th Street.

Additional campaign components include: TV/radio PSAs, print ads, outreach to teens via BGCA's My Club My Life Web site (www.myclubmylife.com) and a YouTube channel, an op-ed series addressing key issues facing young people, and issue-based forums and media templates to help local Clubs advocate on behalf of youth.

For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (www.bgca.org) has helped kids "Be Great," providing hope and opportunity for those who need it most. Today, more than 4,300 Clubs serve some 4.5 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Known as The Positive Place for Kids, Boys & Girls Clubs can be found throughout the country and on U.S. military bases worldwide, providing young people 6-18 years old with guidance-oriented character development programs conducted by trained, professional staff. Clubs positively impact lives and help young people reach their full potential as productive, caring citizens. Key programs emphasize leadership development; education and career exploration; community service; technology training; financial literacy; health and life skills; the arts; sports, fitness and recreation; and family outreach. In a recent Harris Survey of Club alumni, 57 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta.

The Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) is the lead trade association representing the outdoor advertising industry. Founded in 1891, the OAAA is dedicated to promoting, protecting and advancing outdoor advertising interests in the U.S. With nearly 1,100 member companies, the OAAA represents more than 90 percent of industry revenues. The OAAA's strategic focus is on government relations, marketing, communications, membership, and operations. For more information, please visit www.oaaa.org.

The BE GREAT outdoor ads are part of a nationwide partnership between BGCA and OAAA, resulting in the posting of out-of-home messaging across the country in a variety of venues, including billboards, bus shelters, shopping malls, taxi tops and airports. BGCA was named an OAAA national public service partner in 2008.

Photo Credit: John Spellman/Retna Ltd.

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