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2 Live Stews Launch National Radio Campaign to Get Black Men to Become Mentors

Posted on: Thursday, 5 February 2009, 15:50 CST

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Nationally syndicated sports radio hosts The 2 Live Stews are challenging urban broadcasting personalities to join them in getting their listeners, particularly African American men, to support their favorite charity, Big Brothers Big Sisters. Doug and Ryan Stewart, who are biological brothers, have been Big Brothers for several years with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Atlanta.

While more than a third of the Little Brothers served by the Big Brothers Big Sisters volunteer network are African American, only 15 percent of the nonprofit organization's male mentors are black. And in many of Big Brothers Big Sisters' nearly 400 agencies, African American boys disproportionately represent the children waiting for a mentor.

Doug and Ryan Stewart are the lead voices of a new radio campaign called Mentoring Brothers. The campaign is phase II of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America's Campaign for Men, an effort launched last year and funded in part by a generous grant from the Arby's Foundation to recruit more male mentors, especially African American and Hispanic men. The Campaign for Men includes public service announcements, "Bigs Asking Bigs" events, barbershop recruitment drives spearheaded by the historically African American Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, and the development of the targeted website, mentoringbrothers.org. Arby's(R), Big Brothers Big Sisters' largest corporate partner, has been working with Big Brothers Big Sisters and its local agencies for more than twenty years.

"We are pleased that the Campaign for Men is helping more men make the decision to become mentors," said Greg Hawkins, Senior Vice President of Community Partnerships, Arby's Restaurant Group, Inc. "As the campaign moves into its second year, Doug and Ryan Stewart are authentic ambassadors. They are Big Brothers themselves who are well respected in communities across America and among other national radio personalities who speak directly with many of the men we hope to reach."

Doug is Big Brother to 12-year-old Gavin and Ryan's Little Brother is 17-year-old Javoris. The 2 Live Stews program debuted on Atlanta's Sports Radio 790 the Zone in 2001. The show is syndicated and heard in two dozen markets around the country. Doug and Ryan also appear on ESPN2's First Take and were named Air Talent of the Year by ESPN in 2005. The Stews also host TV One's Black Men Revealed.

During the Mentoring Brothers radio campaign, the Stews will talk about Big Brothers Big Sisters, run radio and web public service announcements and urge their listeners to get involved by signing up at mentoringbrothers.org. The Stews will also appear in ads in ESPN the Magazine and encourage other high profile African American personalities to join them as ambassadors, encouraging their listeners to become Big Brothers or support the effort. The campaign will run through the end of February.

"We hope to get more brothers to step up; if you can't be a mentor, you can support a match by contributing any amount of money. Big Brothers Big Sisters changes perspectives and changes lives for the children, mentors and so many others who support this powerful volunteer network," said Doug Stewart.

The Stews know firsthand the difference they make in the lives of the boys they mentor. Their personal experiences are backed by independent research that finds children mentored through the Big Brothers Big Sisters professionally supported volunteer network are more likely than their peers to succeed in school and make positive life choices.

"Big Brothers Big Sisters is a very important part of what it takes to expand opportunities for our children. It takes volunteers and money to make the matches, monitor them and provide ongoing support to make them last. Many of us know children who are a part of Big Brothers Big Sisters. It would be great if more adults in our community get engaged as well," said Ryan Stewart.

About the Arby's Foundation

The Arby's Foundation, Inc., a non-profit 501 (c) (3) corporation, is grounded in the belief that every individual has the power to make a difference. Since its inception in 1986, the Arby's Foundation has provided more than $27 million through Arby's Charity Tour events, in-store fundraising, community events and grant programs to support youth education and mentoring initiatives. In 2008 the Arby's Foundation and it's local operators raised over $5 million for over 400 local BBBS agencies, and for two consecutive years awarded over $800,000 in grants to support Big Brothers Big Sisters' "Campaign for Men," an initiative to assist the organization in reaching its goal of recruiting more male mentors. For more information on the Arby's Foundation, please visit www.arbysfoundation.org.

About Big Brothers Big Sisters

Big Brothers Big Sisters helps vulnerable children beat the odds. The organization depends on donations to help recruit volunteers and reach more children. Funding is used to conduct background checks on volunteers to ensure child safety; and provide ongoing support for children, families and volunteers to build and sustain long-lasting relationships. Big Brothers Big Sisters is proven to increase children's odds of succeeding in school, behaving nonviolently, avoiding drugs and alcohol, and breaking negative cycles. Headquartered in Philadelphia and with nearly 400 agencies across the country, Big Brothers Big Sisters serves more than a quarter million children. Learn how you can change how children grow up in America by going to BigBrothersBigSisters.org.

SOURCE Big Brothers Big Sisters

Source: PR Newswire

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