BGCA’S Youth Advocacy Campaign Unveils New "BE BRAVE" Billboard in Little Rock
Encourages Youth to “BE GREAT”

Little Rock – July 21, 2009 – As part of Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s (BGCA) new national advocacy campaign – BE GREAT – retired Four-Star General and Boys & Girls Club alum Wesley K. Clark today unveiled a new billboard in his hometown of Little Rock, featuring his photo as a youth, and an aspirational message – BE BRAVE. General Clark joins some 25 prominent alumni in the campaign to help increase public awareness and understanding about the key issues facing America’s youth, and the positive impact of Clubs.

Former Club member General Wesley Clark discusses his Boys & Girls Club experience as BGCA unveils a billboard featuring Clark as a youth. The billboard, themed BE BRAVE, encourages all to reach their full potential.

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.

“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,” said Clark. He says his first leadership experience happened at the Boys Club in Little Rock. “I have always gone back to the lessons learned at the Club. We discovered there was something higher than ourselves, and that giving back to others was what really mattered,” Clark said. A star swimmer and athlete at the Club, Clark says it was Jim Miller, the Club’s swim coach, who taught him how to overcome obstacles in life. “He made you stretch and challenge yourself. He taught us about courage and commitment.” Those qualities helped Clark earn his Club’s highest honor when, in 1962, he was chosen as Boy of the Year from among 5,400 other members in Little Rock.

General Clark’s theme – BE BRAVE – ties to his distinguished career in the military. He rose to the rank of four-star general after nearly 40 years of service in the U.S. Army. As NATO Supreme Allied Commander he led NATO forces to victory in Operation Allied Force, saving 1.5 million Albanians from ethnic cleansing without the loss of a single American soldier. His awards and honors include the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the U.S. Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the U.S. Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. General Clark is one of the most highly decorated military leaders since General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Clark is the CEO & Chairman of Wesley K. Clark and Associates, Chairman of Growth Energy, and Senior Fellow at the UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations.

Other Club alumni joining General Clark in the BE GREAT advocacy campaign include: Academy Award-winning actor and national spokesperson for BGCA - Denzel Washington, Muhammad Ali, Ashanti, Swin Cash, 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 proud to call General Wesley Clark one of our own, and we’re thrilled that he has joined the BE GREAT campaign, to help us impact the lives of the young people who need us most today,” said BGCA President and CEO Roxanne Spillett. “From first in his class at West Point to NATO Supreme Allied Commander, there is no finer role model for today’s young people, or a more effective advocate and ambassador for the work of our Clubs in today’s world, than General Clark.”

General Clark 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.

About BE GREAT
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) containing 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 General Clark is one of 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 postings will be donated by local companies across the country. In Little Rock, Lamar Outdoor Advertising donated the space for today’s unveiling, and will be posting General Clark’s billboards pro bono throughout the year.

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.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
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.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Arkansas
Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Arkansas was formed as a result of a merger of the Little Rock and North Little Rock Boys & Girls Club organizations, continuing a proud tradition spanning more than 95 years in serving the Central Arkansas community. The Little Rock Boys & Girls Club began in 1912 as the Citizenship Club, formed by a group of Little Rock newspaper carriers. In 1917, with 700 members, they became the Little Rock Boys Club. The first permanent facility was constructed in 1931. Membership was opened to girls in 1971. The North Little Rock Boys & Girls Club was organized in 1923, and chartered by the State of Arkansas in 1931 as a non-profit corporation with the purpose of providing boys and girls with skills for social, cultural, educational, recreational and physical development. Today Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Arkansas operate eight facilities, serving more than 8,000 young people.

About OAAA
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 US. 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.
 

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