CONTACT: Ben Becker
202-414-0781
Sep 15, 2006

HEARTBEAT OF AMERICA FEATURING NGYCP PREMIERES

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Heartbeat of America, a national television program that promotes American organizations, featured the NGYCP on its 9 a.m. broadcast on the American Life Television Network on September 8.  Hosted by William Shatner and Doug Llewelyn, Heartbeat of America allows organizations to tell their stories through interviews with the anchors.  This particular episode takes an in-depth look at what makes the NGYCP so unique and life changing for tens of thousands of at-risk youth.

Shot earlier this year, Heartbeat of America explored the program from many angles.  First, Llewelyn spoke with Foundation President Greg Sharp for an overview of the program.

“The National Guard as well as the military knows how to work with young men and women to turn their lives around,” Sharp said.

Llewelyn then turned to two program graduates, Freestate ChalleNGe Academy’s Caressa Gibson and Fort Gordon Youth ChalleNGe Academy’s Wilbert Taylor, for their perspective.

“It changed my whole outlook on life.  They take away certain things you’re used to having, and you realize what you had was so good,” Taylor said.

Both Gibson and Taylor represented the program at last year’s National Guard Youth Foundation ChalleNGe Champions dinner as guest speakers.  The pair once again acted as program ambassadors.

To conclude the program, national spokesperson and Apprentice 2 winner Kelly Perdew shared his experiences working with the NGYCP and how it was in line with his values as a former military member and current businessman.

“All you need to do is show people the results of the program and get their attention, and they’ll move on it,” Perdew said.

Perdew featured the program in a book he released earlier this year.