National Boys & Girls Club Week Celebrates Proven Programs for America's Youth That...

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.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050921/CLW030LOGO)

"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.

SOURCE Boys & Girls Clubs of America

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