Third Day Seeks U.S. Aid for 'Child Soldiers' in Uganda

Third Day Seeks U.S. Aid for 'Child Soldiers' in Uganda

Acclaimed Rock Band Activates Massive Fan Base To Change Lives of Children Forced To Fight As Child Soldiers

Estimated $150,000 Raised for Charitable Organizations Through Dollar-Per-Ticket Campaign

NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 29 /PRNewswire/ -- With sold-out concerts, record sales approaching six million, and an enormous and active fan base, two-time GRAMMY-winning rock band Third Day is choosing to not rest on its laurels. Instead band members are intensely dedicated to making a difference in a tragic situation occurring across the globe in war-torn and poverty-stricken Uganda, and bringing this urgent message to over 150,000 fans they will meet on its current tour.

During its current, record-breaking "Wherever You Are Tour," this Atlanta- based band is working to raise money and awareness to address the "Child Soldier" crisis in Gulu, Uganda. Third Day's bassist Tai Anderson described the band's involvement. "Last year we were introduced to a film called "Invisible Children: Rough Cut" that documented the tragic situation in Gulu in which children are taken from their homes, armed with machine guns and sent into rebel warfare for the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army). We immediately wanted to bring resolution, aid and awareness to this issue, and we knew our fans would want to be involved as well. We are grateful to have the opportunity to come alongside World Vision's 'Children Of War' campaign that exists to rehabilitate these kids and give them a hope and a future."

World Vision, a Christian humanitarian relief and development organization, estimates that nearly 30,000 children have been abducted from their families over the course of this conflict. Abducted children are brutalized, indoctrinated and manipulated into becoming weapons of terror against their own families and communities. They are forced to serve as soldiers and porters. Young girls, often pre-teens, are regularly given as sex slaves to adult commanders. When the LRA is actively hunting new soldiers, the children who live in the remote villages of Gulu will travel (sometimes many kilometers) by foot at night to seek refuge in the city center. At times 6,000 or more children, also known as the "Night Commuters," will arrive at safe locations such as World Vision's Noah's Ark to find safety in numbers.

At each concert and online, the band is encouraging its fans to sign up for a monthly pledge of $20 to raise money for the Children of War Rehabilitation Center in Gulu, which reaches out to escaped LRA children, giving them medical treatment, counseling, and spiritual aid. The Center has helped more than 13,000 formerly abducted children to recover from their trauma, prepare for a productive future, and in most cases, return to their families and communities.

Anderson traveled to Gulu to visit this Rehabilitation Center just prior to the start of the tour, and documentary footage from his visit is shown each night of the tour, in addition to the trailer for the "Invisible Children: Rough Cut" film.

For fans that wish to write letters and communicate directly with a specific child affected by AIDS and poverty, sponsorship packets of children from Uganda and other nearby countries in northern Africa are also available at their concerts.

Because the need for education and awareness about this situation is so great, Third Day is also encouraging their audience to support the "Invisible Children: Rough Cut" movie that will release in 2007, as well as their upcoming Global Night Commute on April 29, 2006. The Global Night Commute is a project in which Invisible Children is asking people to commute -- without use of a car or public transportation -- to a central location in their city and spend the night -- just like thousands of children in Uganda do every day. The purpose is to "get our government's attention to let them know that we want this war to end," said Jason Russell, filmmaker and founder of Invisible Children. "We're asking people to lie down, for one night, and close their eyes so that we can open the world's to an unseen war."

If that weren't enough, the Wherever You Are Tour expects to raise nearly $150,000 for various non-profit organizations through a "dollar per ticket" fundraising campaign. A portion of the monies raised will go directly to benefit the children in Uganda through various non-profit organizations such as Blood: Water Mission and Hands In Service. The remaining funds will go to other US and overseas organizations such as Habitat For Humanity, Teen Challenge (Minneapolis, MN) and the India Christian School (Rajahmundry, India).

Third Day recently received its fourth consecutive GRAMMY nod for its Live Wire CD, and is filling up theaters and arenas all over the country on its current "Wherever You Are Tour." Over the past decade, Third Day has amassed 22 #1 radio singles and sold almost six million albums, with RIAA certifications including one Platinum record, one Platinum DVD, and five Gold records. They have garnered 23 career Dove Awards, two GRAMMY Awards (from six nominations), two consecutive American Music Award nods, multiple ASCAP honors, developed an historic partnership with Chevrolet, and developed a touring record second to none by playing for audiences reaching into the millions. In addition to these many accolades, the band is most proud of their humanitarian efforts that include raising nearly $200,000 for the victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita and encouraging over 15,000 fans to sponsor children across the globe through the work of World Vision. www.ThirdDay.com

World Vision is a Christian relief and development organization dedicated to helping children and their communities worldwide reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty. They serve the world's poor, regardless of a person's religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. www.WorldVision.org

Invisible Children Inc., established in 2004, is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing financial resources to invisible children by documenting their true, untold stories in a creative and relevant way, resulting in positive change. Invisible Children Inc. was formed after the release of the film "Invisible Children: Rough Cut," which documents a war in Northern Uganda in which children are abducted by rebel forces and forced to fight as child soldiers. The filmmakers for "Invisible Children: Rough Cut", Jason Russell, Bobby Bailey and Laren Poole, are also the founders of Invisible Children Inc. The organization is based in San Diego, California. www.InvisibleChildren.com

Source: Provident Label Group

CONTACT: Jacquelyn Marushka, +1-615-261-6439, or pr@pmgsonybmg.com, for
Provident Label Group

Web site: http://www.thirdday.com/
http://www.worldvision.org/
http://www.invisiblechildren.com/

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