National Boys & Girls Club Week Celebrates Proven Programs for America's Youth That Are Needed Now More Than Ever

National Boys & Girls Club Week Celebrates Proven Programs for America's Youth That Are Needed Now More Than Ever

Tennis Icon Anna Kournikova and Cartoon Network Help Boys & Girls Club Kids "GET ANIMATED" with Fitness Activities

ATLANTA, March 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Boys & Girls Clubs across America and on U.S. military bases overseas are celebrating National Boys & Girls Club Week, March 22-28, by hosting thousands of events to emphasize the importance and value of the Clubs to their communities. This week has been celebrated for more than 75 years. Clubs invite everyone to come visit the facilities and see first-hand the impact they are making on today's youth.

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"Boys & Girls Clubs are playing an increasingly vital role in many young people's lives," said Roxanne Spillett, president of Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA). "In today's economic climate, we offer a positive place for kids whose parents are seeking an economical, safe and enriching environment for their children. I hope parents in every community will take time during Boys & Girls Club Week to see firsthand the variety and value of programs offered by their local Club, including homework tutorials and career exploration."

Boys & Girls Clubs are unique in the field of child development due to five identifying characteristics. Clubs provide:

-- A safe place to learn and grow,
-- Ongoing relationships with caring, adult professionals,
-- Life-enhancing programs and character development experiences,
-- Hope and opportunity, and
-- Peer, staff and volunteer recognition.

Clubs celebrate Boys & Girls Club Week in a variety of ways, all with an emphasis on the five core Club program areas: Character & Leadership Development; Education & Career Development; Health & Life Skills; The Arts; and Sports, Fitness & Recreation. Activities in these five core areas all support Boys & Girls Clubs of America's overarching goal to help each child reach their full potential and BE GREAT by securing academic success, living a healthy lifestyle and distinguishing themselves as young leaders.

To help support this concept of living an active, healthy lifestyle, BGCA has partnered with Cartoon Network to host "GET ANIMATED Day" at its Clubs on Tuesday, March 24. The network has donated four red rubber playground balls and program materials, including game and exercise activities and certificates of achievement -- to all 4,300 Boys & Girls Clubs, encouraging them to promote the importance of daily movement for all children. GET ANIMATED Day kicks off with a national television appearance by retired tennis pro Anna Kournikova.

"All kids need to be active," says Kournikova. "I'm proud to be associated with a group like Boys & Girls Clubs of America who recognizes this need and is proactively providing resources to make this happen." Kournikova has been volunteering for Boys & Girls Clubs of America and her local Clubs in Miami since 2004 and was the 2007 recipient of BGCA's Champion of Youth Award.

To learn more about the planned activities in your community, find your local Boys & Girls Club by visiting www.bgca.org/clubs or call (404) 487-5700.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America

For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (www.bgca.org) has been changing and saving young lives, providing hope and opportunity for kids who need them most. Today, some 4,300 Clubs serve some 4.8 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Known as The Positive Place for Kids, Boys & Girls Clubs can be found all across the country and on U.S. military bases throughout the world. Clubs provide young people 6-18 years old with guidance-oriented character development programs conducted by trained, professional staff. In communities large and small, Clubs positively impact lives and help young people reach their full potential as productive, caring citizens. Key Boys & Girls Club programs emphasize leadership development; education and career exploration; community service; 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 life. National headquarters are located in Atlanta.

About GET ANIMATED

GET ANIMATED is Cartoon Network's health & wellness platform promoting healthy, active lifestyles for kids nationwide. The 2009 campaign consists of National Recess Week (March 2-6) -- an in-school effort promoting the importance of daily recess, GET ANIMATED with Anna Kournikova (Launching March 24th) -- exclusive fitness program at all Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and the GET ANIMATED Summer Tour (May 23rd-September 9th) -- a 40-market grassroots tour featuring eight stations promoting physical activity and nutritional awareness. GET ANIMATED is supported by an ongoing on-air campaign and online at www.GETANIMATED.com. Cartoon Network will distribute over $100,000 in health and wellness grants and 100,000 red rubber balls during the yearlong effort.

About Cartoon Network

Cartoon Network (CartoonNetwork.com), currently seen in more than 97 million U.S. homes and 166 countries around the world, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.'s ad-supported cable service now available in HD offering the best in original, acquired and classic animated entertainment for kids and families. Nightly from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. (ET, PT), Cartoon Network shares its channel space with Adult Swim, a late-night destination showcasing original and acquired animation for young adults 18-34. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050921/CLW030LOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Boys & Girls Clubs of America

CONTACT: Brian E. Hill of Boys & Girls Clubs of America,
+1-404-487-5798, bhill@bgca.org

Web Site: http://www.bgca.org/
http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/
http://www.getanimated.com/

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