FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 25, 2001

Contacts:
Brian McCarthy, NFL, 813-275-5433
Meghan Powers, NFL, 813-275-5433
Cell Phone: 813-309-7090
powersm@nfl.com

New York, N.Y., January 25, 2001-- The National Football League announced today the national winner of the NFL Community Quarterback Award, a volunteer recognition program that will donate nearly $1 million to community organizations served by outstanding volunteers.

Laura Lockwood, a 17-year old native of Bradenton, Florida, was nominated for her program development and thousands of hours of volunteer service for several non-profit agencies. NFL Charities will make a $25,000 donation to the Volunteer Services of Manatee County Inc., the primary organization through which Laura organizes her many community outreach programs.

Laura was selected by a blue-ribbon panel appointed by the NFL that included President and CEO, United Way of America, Betty Beene; Peter Gallagher, President and CEO, America’s Promise; Robert K. Goodwin, President and CEO, Points of Light Foundation; Paul Tagliabue, Commissioner, National Football League; and the Honorable Harris Wofford, Former Chief Executive Officer, Corporation for National Service.

In 1994, Laura established the "Mana-TEENs," currently the nation’s largest teen volunteer program. The "ManaTEENs" complete more than 1,500,000 service hours each year to benefit 540 nonprofit organizations in the Tampa Bay Community. Laura is the CEO of the program and travels throughout the country assisting other communities in establishing teen volunteer initiatives.

In addition to her work with the "ManaTEENs," Laura has established a number of other volunteer programs in her community. (a full summary is attached)

• Carousel Kids: developed in 1999, the Carousel Kids program has certified 840 teens to assist more than 2,300 families who are in need of qualified babysitters.
• Home Safety for Seniors: teen volunteers conduct needs assessments in the homes of elderly residents and help install such necessary items as smoke alarms, dead bolt locks, tub safety rails, and more.
• Weekend Dads: a program so popular that local family court judges recommend it to parents involved in custody battles, Weekend Dads encourages non-custodial parents and their children to volunteer together on the weekend.

Through each of these programs, Laura demonstrates a superior level of commitment to bettering the lives of those in their communities.

"Volunteers are what makes communities work," said NFL Commissioner PAUL TAGLIABUE. "Volunteers are the force that causes good things to happen every day in our communities. The impact that one person can have on society is contagious, and when joined with the actions of others, it can make history."

Earlier this year, the NFL teams ran local Community Quarterback Award competitions. In each market, a committee made up of team representatives, media and community leaders named ten team finalists who were eligible for the national title. From that group, each team named two runners-up and one team Community Quarterback Award winner. The team Community Quarterback Award winner in each market was awarded $10,000. The runners up received $2,500 and each of the ten finalists was awarded $1,000. All donations were made in the name of the winners to the non-profits where they serve.

Funded by NFL Charities, the NFL Community Quarterback Award recognizes community and youth volunteers who demonstrate leadership, dedication and a commitment to bettering their communities. The nomination process is fulfilled by charitable organizations that nominate their notable volunteers. NFL Charities will donate grants to the non-profit establishments served by the award winners.

NFL Charities, created in 1973, is a non-profit organization created by the member clubs of the National Football League to enable the clubs to collectively make grants to charitable and worthwhile causes on the national level. Since its inception, NFL Charities has made more than $41 million in grant commitments to more than 250 different organizations.

Complete list of winners attached.

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Community Quarterback Award Winners

Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Laura Lockwood

Laura Lockwood is 17 years old and a senior at Manatee High School in Bradenton, Florida. Back in 1994, she recruited some friends to volunteer to do grocery shopping for senior citizens in her neighborhood. She called the group "Mana-TEENs." There are currently 10,230 active ManaTEENs and Laura’s vision for youth leadership, development, and voice has been realized. The ManaTEEN Club is the nation’s largest teen volunteer program. ManaTEENs complete more than 1,500,000 service hours each year to benefit 540 nonprofit organizations in the Tampa Bay community.

This year, Laura is the CEO of the program and travels throughout the country assisting other communities in establishing teen volunteer initiatives. She has completed 6,577 volunteer hours to date, assisting hundreds of local agencies. Laura has had difficulties in school, as she was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder at the age of 12. Through sheer determination and relentless persistence, she has overcome the stigma associated with ADD children and has shown the community, the state, and the nation how one young person can make a difference in the world.

Laura not only established the nation’s premier youth-driven volunteer program, but also created direct service projects that have been replicated worldwide. In 1996, she recognized the need in Tampa Bay to connect qualified teen babysitters with families in need. She developed a screening process for families interested in utilizing the service and organized a training program for teen sitters. Now, there are 840 certified sitters who assist 2,344 screened families that participate in her Carousel Kids program.

Last year, while she was delivering emergency meal kits to senior citizens during the hurricane season, she noticed the deplorable conditions in which many of them lived. She applied for and received a grant from a national corporation to establish Home Safety for Seniors. Through this program, teen volunteers conduct needs assessments in the homes of elderly residents, purchase necessary supplies, and return to deliver and/or install the items, such as smoke alarms, dead bolt locks, tub safety rails, and more. Since June 1999, 954 seniors have been assisted through the program.

A few months ago, she sat at McDonald’s and watched a young father in the play area with his 3 children. "I remember how difficult it was for my Dad to entertain me when he used to pick me up for weekends," she said. She soon coordinated a program entitled "Weekend Dads" to encourage non-custodial parents and their children to volunteer together on the weekends. She announces weekly family-friendly projects in the newspaper, including beach clean-ups, restorations of local islands, maintenance of neglected cemeteries, planting butterfly gardens, etc. She distributes movie passes to families upon completion of their projects, enabling them to celebrate their accomplishments. The program is so popular that local family court judges are now recommending it to parents involved in custody battles!