BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA TO HONOR
AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY AND RAYMOND G. CHAMBERS
60 Minutes Correspondent Lesley Stahl to Emcee
Former Presidents Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush Send Best Wishes

New York (June 3, 2009) – Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) will salute two of its most generous and passionate donors – American Express Chairman and CEO Kenneth I. Chenault along with Raymond G. Chambers, the United Nations Special Envoy for Malaria – because these honorees know that in tough economic times America’s youth need help more than ever.

The more than 600 guests and donors attending the dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria, New York, will be greeted with a first-ever video welcome from President George H. W. Bush, President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush, along with the reading of a personal letter from President Jimmy Carter. All of the former U.S. Presidents wanted to recognize the long-running record of good works performed by Ray Chambers and American Express and Ken Chenault.

BGCA President and CEO Roxanne Spillett and the organization’s national teen spokesperson, Shonnetta Henry, will honor Chenault for American Express’ more than 30 years of support, including the fielding of the largest survey of teens by teens – BGCA’s Youth Report to America. American Express was one of BGCA’s four Centennial sponsors in 2006, helping raise more than $220 million. The company also sponsored “My Club’s Future,” a national video contest for Club members who submitted creative videos for improving their Club or community.

Former recipients of the Champion of Youth Award include: Major League Baseball, Reader’s Digest Association, Microsoft and tennis star Anna Kournikova.

“American Express has a long history of helping people, and the communities where those people live and work,” said American Express Chairman and CEO Kenneth I. Chenault. “It’s been our privilege to support the work of BGCA over the past 30 years and help to ensure that young people have a safe place to learn and grow.”

BGCA’s most prestigious honor for individuals, the Herbert Hoover Humanitarian Award, will be presented to Raymond G. Chambers. Chambers has served as a BGCA National Trustee for more than 20 years, while providing generous funding to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newark, N.J., which he attended as a child. His unbridled optimism and enthusiasm for improving the lives of children everywhere has resulted in his co-founding of several nonprofit organizations, including America’s Promise and Malaria No More, and his latest appointment as the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Malaria.

“I am humbled to be presented with the Herbert Hoover Humanitarian Award,” said Ray Chambers. “Among all of my philanthropic endeavors, none has been more gratifying than the opportunity to help our young people to pursue and achieve their full potential by supporting the amazing Boys & Girls Clubs of America staff and volunteers.”

The Hoover Award is the highest honor that BGCA bestows on an individual. Named in memory of the 31st President of the United States, who was chairman of BGCA for 28 years, the award is presented for outstanding leadership and support for education and youth. Previous recipients of this prestigious honor include: former Secretary of State Colin Powell, award-winning actor Denzel Washington and media mogul Ted Turner.

“Both American Express and Ray Chambers personify the very best of corporate America and individual philanthropy,” said BGCA President Roxanne Spillett. “We are extremely fortunate to have the long-term support and genuine passion of both as we work to serve today’s young people who need the most, but have the least.”

The dinner co-chairs are Lewis Katz, National Governor, BGCA; Edward T. Lewis, Chairman/Founder ESSENCE, National Governor, BGCA; and Richard D. Parsons, Chairman of the Board, Citigroup.

One of the evening’s highlights will be an original poem performed by BGCA’s National Youth of the Year Shonnetta Henry. As the organization’s national teen spokesperson, Henry’s poem will share her thoughts about the many struggles today’s young people face.

Henry, who characterizes the Boys & Girls Club as her “second home,” and served as a positive role model for younger members, just completed her freshman year at the University of New Mexico and is preparing for a summer internship as a staff member for Boys & Girls Clubs located on military bases in Europe or Asia.

This year’s dinner will also feature a silent and live auction called by celebrated auctioneer C. Hugh Hildesley of Sotheby’s. Proceeds from the dinner, which exceeded $1 million in 2008, provide critical funding for the national organization, whose affiliates serve some 4.5 million youth through membership and community outreach nationwide.

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 4.5 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.

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