TEAM NFL Launch Adds Star Power

INDIANAPOLIS (Press Release) - NFL Players, including Indianapolis Colts DB Antoine Bethea, will join United Way professionals and youth from around the country Wednesday (June 20) at the United Way Youth Empowerment Summit hosted at American University.

The three-day event engages participants in identifying opportunities to improve the academic success of American students and create engagement opportunities for TEAM NFL members and their supporters to recruit readers, tutors and mentors. Central Indiana youth participants are Malena Dell, an incoming junior at Indiana Creek High School in Martinsville, and Elijah Smith, an incoming senior at Providence Cristo Rey in Indianapolis.

““Money won’t fix our education challenges. But if each of us give our time to help youth create a brighter future, we can be much more powerful than any of us are alone," said Bethea.
TEAM NFL is a volunteer group of college-educated, civic-minded NFL players from teams across the league. The team members are committed to education opportunities and recruiting one million readers, tutors and mentors.

As representatives of TEAM NFL, each player has a goal to recruit 3,000 volunteer pledges (99,000 total), accounting for almost 10 percent of the United Way recruitment goal. TEAM NFL members include Carolina Panthers quarterback and 2011 NFL Rookie of the Year, Cam Newton; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Cribbs; New York Giants defensive tackle Chris Canty; and Green Bay Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings. To learn more about TEAM NFL visit: www.unitedway.org/team-nfl.

The Youth Empowerment Summit culminates on June 21 with the fifth annual Day of Action during which hundreds of United Ways around the United States will engage in service projects to advance education, income and health initiatives. In Washington, D.C., TEAM NFL will take to Capitol Hill and speak with members of Congress about education issues.

“United Way TEAM NFL volunteers play an important role in raising awareness and providing inspiration to youth around America. TEAM NFL recruitment efforts will advance the United Way call to activate one million readers, tutors and mentors and improve the academic success of our nation’s youth,” said NFL Partnership Director Tracey Holmes.

In 2011, 258 United Ways representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico participated in Day of Action volunteer activities. Day of Action took place at 1,235 project sites which benefited nearly 250,000 Americans.