CMT ONE COUNTRY AND YOUTH SERVICE AMERICA JOIN FORCES FOR NATIONAL & GLOBAL YOUTH SERVICE DAY APRIL 20-22
03/27/07
Rising Country Star Taylor Swift to be an Honorary Spokesperson for Youth Service Day
WASHINGTON– (March 27, 2007) – CMT One Country, the pro-social initiative for cable network CMT, and Youth Service America have joined forces to help motivate youth in America for National & Global Youth Service Day on April 20-22, the largest volunteering event in the world. Rising country star Taylor Swift will be the honorary spokesperson for National & Global Youth Service Day on behalf of CMT One Country and Youth Service America, speaking publicly on behalf of the event on radio, television and print opportunities. Events for National & Global Youth Service Day kick-off Friday, April 20 and run through Sunday, April 22.
“I am grateful to Youth Service America and CMT One Country for being given the opportunity to speak on behalf of my generation about the importance of volunteering,” said Swift. “Volunteerism has become increasingly important in today’s society and I am happy to represent a generation that is taking action in their communities and adopting an attitude that contributes to the world around them.”
“The goals of National & Global Youth Service Day directly align with those of CMT One Country,” said Lucia Folk, director of public affairs, CMT. “Taylor Swift, with her youth and popularity, serves a vital function of speaking directly to a younger audience, one that will grow up in an environment that lauds community service. CMT One Country’s partnership with Youth Service America will assist in re-affirming our commitment to encourage civic participation among all age groups.”
“Young people are constantly told that they are the hope of tomorrow. At Youth Service America we believe that youth are the hope of today,” said Steve Culbertson, president and CEO of Youth Service America. “They have amazing energy, commitment, idealism, and creativity. There is every reason for them to address the problems facing the world today, not tomorrow. And with Taylor Swift as our spokesperson, who embodies what we see young people doing every day, we hope to shine a bright light on the huge misunderstanding about young people’s greatness.”
Taylor Swift is one of country music’s hottest-rising stars. She has enjoyed tremendous success since first bursting onto the scene in 2006 with her chart-topping debut single "Tim McGraw." Since that time, her self-titled album has been certified Gold by the RIAA and she is currently nominated for a 2007 CMT MUSIC AWARD for BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR and an ACM award for Best New Female Vocalist. Swift previously toured with hot acts Rascal Flatts and George Strait. The 17-year-old rising star has also made a splash in the national media spotlight with appearances on ABC’s Good Morning America, NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and FOX’s Fox & Friends and The Morning Show with Mike & Juliet.
CMT One Country, CMT's pro-social initiative, was launched in the fall of 2005 to promote civic participation and inspire CMT viewers to take action and bring about important change in their communities. CMT One Country partners include America’s Second Harvest, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Habitat for Humanity, Hands On Network and the USO (United Service Organizations). Led by Advisory Board members President Jimmy Carter, Maya Angelou and General Colin Powell, whose combined service to America is legendary, CMTONECOUNTRY.com aims to offer tools to help anyone start making a difference immediately. For more information: www.CMTONECOUNTRY.com.
CMT, America’s No. 1 country music network, carries original programming, specials, and live concerts and events, as well as a mix of videos by established country music artists and new cutting-edge acts, including world premiere exclusive videos. Founded March 6, 1983, CMT, owned and operated by MTV Networks, reaches 84 million households in the United States. Go to country music’s biggest web site at www.CMT.com.
National & Global Youth Service Day (April 20-22, 2007), the largest service event in the world, mobilizes youth to identify and address the needs of their communities through service-learning and community service. The event is organized by Youth Service America (YSA) with the support of State Farm Companies Foundation as the Presenting Sponsor. More than 115 National Partners and 51 Lead Agencies throughout the United States organize projects. Overseas, National Lead Agencies in 118 countries around the world manage national events. Planning Tool Kits, Service-Learning Curriculum Guides, classroom posters, grants, and more are available for youth, parents, teachers and organizations. For the U.S. Map of Service Projects for National & Global Youth Service Day 2007: www.YSA.org/map.
Youth Service America is a national nonprofit resource center that partners with thousands of organizations committed to increasing the quality and quantity of volunteer opportunities for young people ages 5-25, to serve locally, nationally, and globally. Founded in 1986, Youth Service America’s mission is to expand the impact of the youth service movement with communities, schools, corporations, and governments. In addition to National & Global Youth Service Day, which take place concurrently each April, YSA also hosts SERVEnet (www.SERVEnet.org), providing the largest database of volunteer opportunities in America. For more information: www.YSA.org.
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