Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Dominican Republic Relief Effort Benefit
From A-ROD'S Philanthropic Outreach
MIAMI, Dec. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Alex Rodriguez, the recipient of last year's
MVP award, will make a donation benefiting Boys & Girls Clubs of America
(BGCA) and the Dominican Republic relief effort. Rodriquez will be making a
donation of $750,000 to the charities.
"The Boys & Girls Club has had a very positive influence on my life and
I'm grateful for the guidance the staff provided when I was growing up. I'm
happy to have the opportunity to do something special and give back," said
Rodriguez. "I choose to give to the people of the Dominican Republic because
that's where my roots are. My parents are Dominican and I'm proud of my
heritage."
Rodriguez, who serves as a Boys & Girls Clubs of America national
spokesperson and appears in their bilingual PSA campaign, founded the Alex
Rodriguez Learning Center in his childhood home of Miami. The Learning
Center, located at the Hank Kline Boys & Girls Club, will provide computer
stations with software and Internet access so children can learn valuable
computer skills. The center will also feature a "homework room" with desks
and educational resources, as well as an arts and crafts area.
In addition to the learning center in Miami, Rodriguez is reaching out to
the Children's Aid Society Boys & Girls Club in Washington Heights, the
neighborhood in New York City, where he was born. Youngsters in this needy
community will benefit from his generosity with a program developed to enhance
their mental health. These programs will be offered through five Boys & Girls
Club public schools. Rodriguez and his wife Cynthia, who holds a master's
degree in psychology, plan to make mental health wellness a lifelong
philanthropic endeavor.
Rodriguez's deep concern for the victims of the flooding in the Northern
region of the Dominican Republic prompted his relief effort. Some 10,000
families, numbering some 60,000 people, have been affected by the national
disasters. In conjunction with UNICEF, Rodriguez plans to travel to the
Dominican Republic to distribute supplies on Three Kings Day, January 6, 2005.
In addition to his monetary contribution, Rodriguez is also providing basic
necessities such as food and clothing.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America (http://www.bgca.org) comprises a national network
of some 3,400 neighborhood-based facilities annually serving more than four
million young people, primarily from disadvantaged circumstances. 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
character and leadership development, education and career development, health
and life skills, the arts, sports, fitness and recreation. Rodriguez was a
member of the Hank Kline Boys & Girls Club, a unit of the Boys & Girls Clubs
of Miami.
SOURCE Boys & Girls Clubs of America
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Related links:
http://www.bgca.org
CONTACT:
Eileen Thompson, +1-310-854-8137,
eithompson@rogersandcowan.com, or Heather Lewandoski,
+1-310-854-8147, both of Rogers and Cowan for Boys & Girls Clubs
of America
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