Yahoo! Builds Online Home for the BRICK Awards(R)
The BRICK Awards, the country’s only award show for young people making our world a better place, announced today that Yahoo! will empower the BRICK Awards at www.BRICKAwards.org. The site will be the home of a nationwide voting campaign to help determine which 4 remarkable young world-changers receive a $15,000 community grant towards their cause as well as the source of information on how young people everywhere can get involved in their community.
The BRICK Awards are the premiere national awards for young people changing our world. Young people and celebrities are honored in four categories: public health, community building, education & environment, and global impact. Sponsored by GM and Pepsi, the BRICK Awards will air April 12th on the CW Network.
BRICKAwards.org also features video clips of the 12 BRICK Award finalists and encourages young people to cast their vote for who they think deserves the Golden BRICK Award and an extra $15,000 for their cause. The site will also feature questions from celebrities on Yahoo! Answers. Visitors can also enter for a chance to win an all-expense-paid trip to the BRICK Awards in New York City to hang out with the BRICK Award finalists and other celebs.
Award-winning Web site HowStuffWorks.com features background information and in-depth interviews with the twelve bright young minds that are making a real difference in the world (http://www.howstuffworks.com/brickawards.htm). “How The Brick Awards Work” also includes details on the voting process, previous winners and how people everywhere can “do something” in their own community.
During and after the BRICK Awards show on April 12th, BRICKAwards.org will feature exclusive red carpet coverage with MTV veejay Damien Fahey and Carmen Electra as well as a quiz on celebrity causes, highlights from the show, behind the scenes footage, out-takes and even more info on how young people can do something in their community.
The BRICK Awards puts the spotlight on the young change-makers who have committed themselves to making a difference in the world. By supporting and rewarding young community action ‘rock stars,’ the BRICK Awards is creating a whole new breed of role models who aren’t famous for their fashion choices or their ability to throw a party, but for their dedication to changing the world.
“The BRICK awards are all about acknowledging acts of community service by remarkably selfless young people,” say Meg Garlinghouse, director of Yahoo! for Good, the company’s community relations initiative. “We’re using our network to spotlight these extraordinary individuals while also using our vast reach to inspire more youth to make a positive impact on their communities.”
“Other award shows recognize celebrities who can ice skate and people who can sing. It’s about time we honor people who actually do really important good work. I’m looking forward to making these kids more famous than Paris Hilton,” said Nancy Lublin, CEO the BRICK Awards.
Each of the 12 BRICK Winners will receive a $10,000 community grant to continue their work. Four of the 12 winners will be selected as Golden BRICK Winners during the BRICK Awards show. The Golden BRICK Winners will receive an additional $15,000 community grant for a total of $25,000.
The 2007 BRICK Award Winners are:
Jennifer Staple 25, Newton, CT — Unite for Sight
Ruth DeGolia, 24, New Haven, CT — Mercado Global
Jacob Komar, 14, Burlington, CT — Computers for Communities
William Hwang, 22, Potomac, MD — United InnoWorks Academy
Hannah Taylor, 11, Winnipeg, CN — The Ladybug Foundation, Inc.
David Fajgenbaum, 21, Washington, DC — National Students of AMF (Ailing Mothers & Fathers)
Kimmie Weeks, 25, Newark, DE — Youth Action International
Ashley Rhodes-Courter, 21, Crystal River, FL — North American Council on Adoptable Children
Divine Bradley, 24, Brooklyn, NY — Team Revolution
Kelly Voigt, 14, Palantine, IL — Prevent the Bite
Cheryl Perera, 21, Richmond Hill, CN — OneChild Network & Support Systems, Inc.
Jennifer Zwilling, 14, Brookville, NY — Tourette Syndrome Association Youth Ambassador Program
Permanent residents and citizens of the U.S. and Canada were eligible to apply for the BRICK Award. For more information regarding the BRICK Awards, visit www.brickawards.org.
About the BRICK Awards
The BRICK Awards honor social change makers and community action tycoons under the age of 25. Young people making a difference in the community can learn more and apply for next year’s BRICK Awards at www.brickawards.org.
About Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is a leading global Internet brand and one of the most trafficked Internet destinations worldwide. Yahoo! seeks to provide online products and services essential to users’ lives, and offers a full range of tools and marketing solutions for businesses to connect with Internet users around the world. Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.
About HowStuffWorks.com
Founded in 1999, HowStuffWorks is an online publishing company that provides objective, credible and useful information for people to learn about the world around them. The company’s award-winning Web site attracts millions of unique visitors each month and is the source for in-depth, easy-to-understand explanations on hundreds of topics ranging from science and technology to health and electronics. In 2005, HowStuffWorks became the exclusive online publisher for Publications International, Ltd., Consumer Guide and Mobil Travel Guide. HowStuffWorks is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and is a subsidiary of The Convex Group, a media and technology company. For more information, visit www.howstuffworks.com