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- Nationwide Effort Encourages Kids to Stay in School and Participate in Afterschool Programs - Plano, TX (May 18, 2004) ─ JCPenney Afterschool and the National Football League launched a new partnership today to encourage kids to stay in school and participate in afterschool programs. The effort centers around a sweepstakes that will run from July 26 through September 20 at all JCPenney stores nationwide where kids can register to “Take A Player To School.” Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, who serves as the national spokesperson for the initiative, announced the partnership with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Quincy Carter, Cowboys safety Darren Woodson and 110 fifth graders at Gulledge Elementary School in Plano, TX. The students participated in several football training drills. Children ages 6-13, an age bracket identified as a primary group in need of afterschool programs, will be eligible to win the contest by filling out entry forms available in JCPenney stores. Parental consent is required. One winning child will be selected in each of the 32 NFL markets and one non-NFL market to “Take a Player to School.” Winners will be announced the week of October 8, and NFL players will attend school with the children on October 19 and October 26. “I am very pleased to be part of this effort to encourage students to stay in school and participate in afterschool programs,” said Donovan McNabb. “There is nothing more important in America than our youth, and we need to give young people every opportunity and inspiration to succeed.” “We are proud of JCPenney’s partnership with the NFL to provide young people with the opportunity to learn from an NFL role model,” said Vanessa Castagna, President of JCPenney Afterschool and Chairman and CEO of JCPenney stores, catalog and Internet. “We need more high-quality and safe educational venues for the millions of young people who go home alone everyday with no supervision or support.” The partnership with the NFL is the latest initiative by JCPenney Afterschool to help America’s youth reach the power of their potential. A new study funded by JCPenney Afterschool and published by the Afterschool Alliance finds that more than 15 million children in the U.S. are in need of afterschool education. Extensive research repeatedly shows that good afterschool education programs benefit all students by raising math and reading performance, improving attendance, decreasing involvement in crime, and reducing dropout rates. In support of the need for afterschool programs throughout the country, NFL Charities this year will award $1.5 million in grants for afterschool education. JCPenney Afterschool has contributed more than $34 million since 1999 to support educational programs, physical fitness initiatives and personal development projects in afterschool centers nationwide.
Celebration of
the partnership will continue this evening during the 3rd Annual Afterschool
Fund Gala Benefit, where JCPenney executives will be joined by NFL players
and the retailer’s top suppliers to raise more than $2.4 million for
afterschool initiatives. As the premiere annual event for the Afterschool
Fund, the gala reflects an ongoing commitment to bring more quality
programs, resources and mentors to America’s youth. The black-tie event will
include a special performance by Motown’s greatest living legends, The
Temptations.
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About JCPenney Afterschool
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