Usher Joins Denzel Washington and Other Prominent Alumni in Boys & Girls Clubs of...

Usher Joins Denzel Washington and Other Prominent Alumni in Boys & Girls Clubs
of America's Advocacy Campaign

Superstar Unveils New 'BE ICONIC' Billboard; Encourages Youth to 'BE GREAT'

Clear Channel Outdoor Donates Space in Atlanta and Nationwide

ATLANTA, April 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- 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.

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

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090429/DC07598)

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.

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) where the general public can find 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 Usher is the latest in 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 ads will be donated by local companies across the
country. In Atlanta, Clear Channel Outdoor has committed to posting boards,
free of charge, for Boys & Girls Clubs throughout 2009, and debuted the Usher
BE ICONIC board on a mobile unit in front of BGCA national headquarters on
Peachtree Street.

Additional campaign components include: TV/radio PSAs, print/outdoor 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 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.

SOURCE Boys & Girls Clubs of America

Angela Richmond, +1-404-487-5813, arichmond@bgca.org, or Jan Still-Lindeman,
+1-404-487-5739, jslindeman@bgca.org, both of the Boys & Girls Clubs of
America