Hollywood Star Returns a Favor for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America
(ARA) – “Put this card in the hands of a child and you will change that child’s life -- it worked for me.” When actor Denzel Washington delivers that message to kids across the country through a newly released public service announcement, he’s not just reading from a script, he’s speaking from the heart. Washington credits the Boys & Girls Clubs of America with putting him on “the right path” -- one of continued success.
"Many of the kids from my neighborhood, including some of my friends who did not go to the Club, are today dead or locked up. The situation on today's streets is even worse (than in the past). These Clubs are more than safe havens -- they are literal lifelines for our most vulnerable kids,” says Washington. He joined the Boys & Girls Club of Mt. Vernon, N.Y., a suburb of New York City, at the age 6, and remained an active member for the next 12 years. He credits the Club with giving him the confidence to succeed.
Today, the 49-year-old is one of the hottest actors in Hollywood. His career has soared with films including “Malcolm X,” “Philadelphia,” “The Pelican Brief,” “Crimson Tide,” “Courage Under Fire,” “The Siege,” “The Hurricane,” “Remember the Titans” and “Out of Time.” He won an Academy Award as Best Actor for his role in Training Day (2001), and made his directorial debut with 2002’s “Antwone Fisher.” Washington says he owes a great deal of his success to his early experiences with the Boys & Girls Club in his neighborhood.
“For me, it was simple,” recalls Washington. “All I had to do was flash my Boys & Girls Club membership card. It was like a passport to explore new and exciting territory. The card gave me a sense of belonging and the belief that I had the power to become whatever I wanted.”
The theme of this year’s public service campaign -- Washington’s 4th in ten years for BGCA -- is the same as the first: “This Card Saves Lives.” The print, radio and television ads build on the symbolic power of the Boys & Girls Club membership card and the organization’s proven effectiveness in helping disadvantaged youth succeed, by giving them hope and opportunity.
“My goal is to continue raising awareness about Boys & Girls Clubs of America and prove how much better it is to have kids pick up a membership card instead of a gun, a needle, or a knife,” says Washington.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of America run after-school Clubs through the United States for kids in an effort to give them a safe and supervised environment. The children's time in the program is spent on sports, recreation, and fitness, as well as on schoolwork, and even on programs centered on character development, leadership, and life skills, among other things. For more information about all the BGCA has to offer kids in your community, log on to www.bgca.org. or call (800) 854-CLUB.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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