/PRNewswire / -- As part of Boys & Girls Clubs of America's (BGCA) new advocacy campaign -- BE GREAT -- five-time Grammy award winner, philanthropist and Boys & Girls Club alumnus Usher today unveiled a new billboard featuring his childhood picture and a call-to-action -- BE ICONIC. Usher joins some 25 prominent alumni in the new advocacy campaign to help increase public awareness and understanding about the positive impact of Clubs.
From academic failure and gang violence to poverty, drugs and obesity, America's youth 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, I had the chance to experience a lot of positive things; it helped reinforce the values I learned at home including good character, leadership and giving back to my community, my country and my world," said Usher. "It's where I developed my love of singing and performing, received help with my homework, and it's where I found a safe place to go after school."
Usher's theme -- BE ICONIC -- ties to the singer's profile as an award-winning, multi-platinum musical icon and a positive role model, and will serve as a source of inspiration for all young people to BE GREAT. This year celebrates the fifth anniversary of the 2004 top-selling album Confessions, which went on to sell more than 10 million copies in the United States, and has been certified diamond in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
In addition to unveiling the billboard, Usher recently visited the Brookhaven Boys & Girls Club in Atlanta where he was greeted by screams from more than 200 young members. He addressed the crowd with a simple message: "work hard to achieve your goals and you can accomplish anything you set your mind to." During his visit he taped a short film about the positive impact the Club played in his life, which will be the first of several films of prominent alumni for BGCA. The film will debut on BGCA's Web site www.BeGreatAmerica.org in May, and will also appear on BGCA's social networking pages including Facebook and YouTube.
Other Club alumni joining Usher in the BE GREAT advocacy campaign include: Academy award-winning actor and national spokesperson for BGCA -- Denzel Washington, Muhammad Ali, Ashanti, 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, Martin Sheen, John Singleton, Ruben Studdard, Courtney B. Vance, Mark Wahlberg and Kerry Washington.
On May 14, Usher will be inducted into BGCA's prestigious Alumni Hall of Fame (AHOF) at the organization's 103rd National Conference in Atlanta.
"We are very excited about Usher joining our BE GREAT campaign and the awareness he will bring to the effectiveness of our generation-changing programs," said BGCA President and CEO Roxanne Spillett. "He is a shining example of the impact of Clubs, and we are so proud of the great things he has gone on to accomplish."
Usher 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.
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Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Usher Joins Denzel Washington and Other Prominent Alumni in Boys & Girls Clubs of America's Advocacy Campaign
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Usher Raymond's National 'I Can't But You Can' Voter Registration Campaign
PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This year, in an effort to mobilize voters in this historic presidential election, Usher launched the "I Can't But You Can" voter registration campaign geared towards youth ages 17 and under. This nationwide campaign began this summer in Atlanta with 350 youth registering nearly 1,000 new voters. The Campaign will be expanded to 8 cities simultaneously on September 27th and is projected to educate more than 4,000 youth and register 17,000 new voters nationally.
In conjunction with ServiceNation's Day of Action (www.servicenation.org), the "I Can't But You Can" Campaign will host voter registration rallies and drives in cities across the US on September 27th. Participating cities include: Atlanta, Boston, Kansas City (KS), Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York, New Orleans and Oakland. At the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, the USC Marching Band will perform, MTV's Quddus will serve as Emcee for the Voter Registration Rally while KIIS-FM's DJ Drew will get the crowd pumping. All across the nation, we're engaging youth to make certain their voices are heard on Election Day!
"This is such a historic election that I wanted to find a way to give youth 17 and under a voice," says Usher. "I wanted young people to understand, that this election does impact their life. It affects the type of education they receive, if they'll receive healthcare when they're sick and if they'll have help getting into college."
As Youth Chair of ServiceNation, Usher recently hosted 100 Exceptional Young Leaders from across the country for a forum on the importance of Service and Leadership at the ServiceNation Summit in New York City. At this bi-partisan summit, Usher announced his Day of Action Contest to encourage youth to engage in service and reward their participation in the Day of Action.
Usher's Day of Action Contest
As part of SerivceNation's Day of Action, youth who can inspire 100 hours of service during ServiceNation's Sept 27 Day Of Action (i.e. 20 people doing 5 hours each, or 50 people doing 2 hours each) AND can get 100 signatures on ServiceNation's Declaration of Service, are eligible for the drawing. There will be two lucky winners who receive airfare for two, hotel for two nights and two VIP tickets to Usher's Washington, DC Concert on November 4 (National Election Day!) Visit www.servicenation.org for more details.
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Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Usher Raymond's 'I Can't But You Can' Voter Registration Campaign Goes National
PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- After a widely popular and successful run in Atlanta, GA, today Usher Raymond IV announces the national expansion of the "I Can't But You Can" voter registration campaign beginning August 21, 2008 in Detroit, MI. Held last month as part of the 4th Annual Camp New Look in partnership with Rev. Joseph Lowery, 350 youth completed curriculum based on the election/voting process and registered nearly 1,000 voters during the inaugural program.
As part of the "I Can't But You Can" campaign, on August 21 Usher and his New Look foundation are planning several events to build registration awareness and education to Detroit natives. In the morning, over 400 Detroit area youth are expected to participate in a voter registration drive and rally from numerous organizations including Youthville, Detroit NAACP, Mayor's Time, Youth Development Commission, LaSed, and the Derrick Coleman Foundation. Usher will also be on hand to rally 6,000 poll workers at a picnic in their honor encouraging them to lead by example and register to vote. In addition, the MGM Grand Detroit will be hosting a special reception and fundraiser to benefit Usher's New Look later in the evening. Tickets for the reception are available via Ticket Master.
The "I Can't But You Can" campaign geared towards youth age 17 and under, boasts a dual focus objective. Before youth can register voters under New Looks' initiative, they must first complete a 4-hour curriculum and training course on the voting process. "This election impacts ALL youth," says Usher. "I wanted to give teenagers more than the experience and satisfaction of registering voters; I wanted to give them knowledge that will engage them in our democratic process long after this election ends."
The "I Can't But You Can" campaign, which will also include multiple public service announcements, will branch out to additional cities on September 27th with rallies and drives held throughout the country. Lead by New Look youth as part of the National Day of Action (www.servicenation.org), confirmed cities include New Orleans, Cleveland, Atlanta, New York, Boston, Oakland, and Los Angeles.
Recently named the Youth Chair of ServiceNation, a national service campaign, Usher will represent young people from around the country who are committed to giving back to their communities. At the historic ServiceNation Summit in New York City on September 11th and 12th, Usher will serve as their voice while simultaneously raising awareness about the importance of national and community service. He will challenge America's youth to get involved and participate in activities both during and after the Summit.
Youth serving agencies can join the "I Can't But You Can" campaign by downloading the free empowerment kit from www.ushersnewlook.org. The kit includes campaign applications, Voting 101 curriculum, and report forms. T-shirts can also be purchased via UshersNewLook.org for $9.99 plus shipping and handling.
Usher's New look partners with youth serving agencies within the United States including Communities in Schools, Hank Stewart Foundation, SCLC Women, Future Foundation, and Lite House.
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Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Usher's Camp New Look 2008 Continues to Empower and Educate Inner-City Youth
PRNewswire/ -- Grammy Award winning entertainer and philanthropist Usher Raymond IV, in conjunction with his New Look Foundation, will welcome 126 underserved youths from throughout the country to the Atlanta area for this year's Camp New Look. Held July 14-27 at Georgia Tech University in Atlanta, Camp New Look is a two-week summer camp which empowers children and educates them about the business aspects of the sports and entertainment industries. During the free camp, kids ages 12 to 17 will participate in workshops and seminars that will help them to enrich their skills in various areas including New Look's core components -- music, dance, sports, acting, and video production.
Now in its fourth consecutive year, the 2008 Camp New Look curriculum will include the fundamentals of launching a new fragrance. New Look campers will develop and launch a fragrance for an NHL All-Star athlete, getting help and advice from the executive team at Liz Claiborne Cosmetics. Campers will be taught the fundamentals of manufacturing, engineering, marketing, promoting and launching the fragrance. New Look has expanded this program and has also partnered with the WNBA's Atlanta Dream to provide internships with New Look alumni. The joint ventures with the NHL and WNBA will provide Camp New Look graduates with the chance to gain behind-the-scenes insights from the best in the business, while also allowing them to explore and enhance their talents and skills.
"This year's camp is going to be bigger and more exciting than ever," said Usher. "We really strive to provide our campers with the best support and most beneficial experience available. I want to move beyond the exposure of Camp New Look and create a true career pipeline for underserved kids so that they can turn their experiences into careers in multi-billion dollar industries."
Additionally, campers will take field trips to various companies and organizations that are designed to enhance their overall understanding of business. Special guests are also expected to visit the camp to share their professional experiences. Previous guests include music stars Ludacris, Omarion and Lloyd, and athletes Allen Rossum (Atlanta Falcons) and Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic).
On Friday, July 25, Usher and Charles Ellis, store director of Tiffany & Co. Atlanta, will host a private, star-studded reception at the lavish Tiffany & Co. at Phipps Plaza in Atlanta. The celebration will also mark the release of Usher's uCast -- a bi-weekly online series that features an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at Usher's life as a recording star, philanthropist and businessman. uCast is an educational podcast series that receives over 35,000 downloads weekly. Usher's uCast has enjoyed immense popularity, reaching as high as No.7 on I-Tunes music podcasts.
"uCast is really more than a podcast," said Usher. "It's an educational tool for learning how business in the entertainment industry really works. It allows New Look to distribute its message to thousands of viewers each week!"
New Look has served more than 1,300 teens from across the U.S. through Camp New Look in Atlanta and mini-camps in New York, Los Angeles, Cleveland and Milwaukee.
