FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: (name), Boys & Girls Clubs of (your city), (phone), (email)
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS DAY FOR KIDS SET FOR SEPTEMBER 15;
CLUBS PREPARE FOR FUN-FILLED DAY CELEBRATING KIDS
Survey: Kids Wish Parents Would Work Less, Spend More Outdoor Time with Them, Adults Spending Little Time Supervising Kids Online
(City, St.), <month> <date>, 2007 – Boys & Girls Clubs of (your city) is teeing up to celebrate “Boys & Girls Clubs Day for Kids,” (BGC Day for Kids) a major annual family event highlighting the value of meaningful time between caring adults and children. In (your city), BGC Day for Kids will be celebrated with thousands of parents and kids participating in an event at (location).
(add details on your local event including: Date, time, location, activities, contact phone number)
Unlike most other industrialized nations, the U.S. is one of the few nations that does not have an official day set aside to honor its young people. In a country ranked first in wealth and productivity, we do not have a day in which we recognize our most precious resource. Americans recognize the link between spending meaningful time with their kids and the tough issues facing young people, but say they don’t have the time, skills or resources to do as much for their children as they feel they should.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) is spearheading a national effort to establish BGC Day for Kids as an “official day” to celebrate our most valuable resource – our kids. While September 15 is the official day created to bring attention to the messages of BGC Day for Kids, in reality every day should be a day for kids.
To assist parents, practitioners and other caring adults, BGCA has created engaging educational resources to help them encourageand develop positive relationships with kids. A year-round web site, www.dayforkids.org, will provide tools, resources and tips that support their interactions with young people.
BGC Day for Kids Survey
A survey conducted this summer of more than 1,500 Boys & Girls Club members from across the nation identified how adults and children define meaningful time.
· The results revealed that most young people (78%) feel they do spend enough meaningful time with their parents.
· BUT … The young people surveyed (39%) said they want their parents to work less and spend more outdoor time with them (43%).
· Young people (68%) say their parents or guardians are the most important role models in their lives and that the most important thing they learn from them are positive values (37%)
· While most (79%) say their parents have talked with them about Internet safety, most parents never or very rarely (67%) surf the Internet with their children or ask them who they are talking to online (55%).
· Most young people are participating in physical activities and games with their parents several times a week (55.1%) and eating home-cooked dinners together regularly (77%).
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Boys & Girls Clubs Day for Kids /2
An estimated 2,000 Day for Kids events are planned nationwide (all events open to the public) including:
· Dallas – More than 5,500 youth will enjoy a day at the Hawaiian Falls Waterpark, including games, face painting and live entertainment.
· NYC – A street festival in the Bronx, including song and dance, performances by local artists, a back-to-school fashion show, a health fair and equipment from the NY Police and Fire Departments will be a part of the festival for more than 5,000 attendees.
· Twin Cities – A celebration at the Mall of America with live entertainment.
· D.C. – Approximately 1,500 community members will enjoy a street celebration with food, fun, games and entertainment.
“We created Boys & Girls Clubs Day for Kids to foster stronger relationships between adults and children by educating them on the importance and value of spending meaningful time together,” says (name), (title), Boys & Girls Clubs of (your city). “BGC Day for Kids will provide the opportunity for every adult to take a break, celebrate and renew their commitment to our community’s children.”
Boys & Girls Clubs of America leads the national campaign with support from several non-profit partners, including America’s Promise, Association of Children’s Museums, Association for Library Services to Children, Communities in Schools, Easter Seals, Save the Children, Youth Services to America, Kids Sports Network, National Wildlife Federation and Home Safety Council.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Boys & Girls Clubs of America (www.bgca.org) comprises a national network of more than 4,000 neighborhood-based facilities annually serving some 4.8 million young people, in all 50 states and on U.S. military bases worldwide. Known as “The Positive Place for Kids,” the Clubs provide guidance-oriented character development programs on a daily basis for children 6-18 years old, conducted by a full-time professional staff. Key Boys & Girls Club programs emphasize leadership development, education and career exploration, financial literacy, health and life skills, the arts, sports, fitness and recreation, and family outreach. National headquarters are located in Atlanta.
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