USF Begins 'At Risk' Youth Program to Better the Community of Tampa

TAMPA, Fla., June 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Riki Ellison, Chairman and
Founder of the Youth Impact Program and a three time Super Bowl winner with
the San Francisco 49ers, announced today the inaugural opening of one of the
nation's most innovative "at risk" programs for the community of Tampa that
begins at the University of South Florida. The Youth Impact Program (YIP)
invests in "at risk" below the poverty line young boys from 9 to 12 years old
in a 5-week intense program through using USF facilities, staff, student
athletes and local elementary teachers. Student athletes participating from
USF include Delbert Alvarado, Nate Allen, George Selvie and Dontavia Bogan.

The program provides food, clothing, transportation, mathematics, language
arts, football, and life skills development to include Anger Management,
Conflict Resolution, Drug Education and permanent mentoring relationships
between the boys and local teachers, staff and student athletes of USF.

This joint community effort that costs about $1,000 investment in each boy is
changing their lives at a critical formative age which if not changed would
cost the community about $36,000 a year for incarceration costs as the
national statistics show a good portion of urban 'at risk' boys will end up in
prison if not attended to.

The Youth Impact Program at USF uses football to attract the young boys to
come in off of the streets in the summer, and it exposes them to the
University and its support structure in their community. Support of the Youth
Impact Program is provided by USF, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the NFL Youth
Football Fund.

It is an integrated partnership between the local community, the University of
South Florida, the municipality of Tampa, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the NFL
to make a difference in the lives of young minority urban at-risk boys that
will change our communities for the better.

The program is a national program that is in its fourth year with additional
sites in Los Angeles, New Orleans and Houston. The Youth Impact Program has
received a Joint Congressional Resolution for its achievements. The YIP
program runs through the month of July with a year-round program to follow
where the boys will continue to be monitored and mentored on a monthly basis
at USF.

For more information on the program contact Riki Ellison, YIP Chairman and
Founder for YIP at 703 778-6192 or Mike Terrill at 602 885-1955. The YIP
website is located at www.youthimpactprogram.org.

NOTES TO MEDIA:
1. Chris Freet, SID for USF, is at 813-974-4086 and he can help with
interviews and photo opportunities for the USF program.
2. If you desire an interview with Riki Ellison, the Chairman and Founder of
YIP, call Mike Terrill at 602 885-1955 to arrange.

SOURCE Youth Impact Program

Mike Terrill, +1-602-885-1955, for the Youth Impact Program