“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“Tonight is our call to action,” said Johnny Furr Jr., president of the St. Louis CARES Mentoring Movement.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Furr chose the St. Louis American Foundation’s 2011 Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship and Awards Gala on Friday to announce the launch of a new initiative called the Education Express.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The initiative is a partnership between the non-profit founded by Furr and his wife Minga Furr, the St. Louis American Foundation and the United Way of Greater St. Louis.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Cheryl Polk, executive vice president for the United Way of Greater St. Louis, said the new partnership aims to recruit 2,000 new mentors to volunteer for “existing programs and schools.”
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Furr introduced the new initiative by playing a video produced by Susan L. Taylor, the veteran journalist who launched the National CARES Mentoring Movement. “I’m in,” an impressive array of African-American celebrities announced on the video.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“I’m in,” Furr said. “My wife is in. Dr. Suggs is in,” he added.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“United Way is in,” Polk said. “I’m in.”
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Furr looked out at a finely attired audience of more than 1,100. “If everyone signs up tonight, we’re half-way to our goal,” Furr said. “Are you in?”
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>KMOX news anchor Carol Daniel, who emceed the event with KSDK education reporter Sharon Stevens, took the night’s recruiting mission seriously.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“Are you in?” Daniel asked – even taunted – the audience. “In or out?” She made the matter personal. She acknowledged that her sons had full parental support, but not all growing African-American boys do. “I want my sons to have peers,” she said.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Daniel’s extended tirade on the mentoring theme evoked a jest from the next person to take the podium, Kathy Osborn, executive director of the Regional Business Council. “Frankly, I’m kind of afraid of Carol,” Osborn joked. “So I’m in, I’m in.”
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Suggs accounted for the foundation’s participation in the effort in an editorial published last week in the Salute special section.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“It is estimated that there are nearly 100,000 youth in Eastern Missouri who could benefit by having a caring adult in their life, who would focus on support that enhances academic success,” the editorial stated.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“When we note statistics that tell us that 98 percent of youth that are matched with mentors stay in school or that 97 percent of teens that are matched with a mentor avoid pregnancy or that 85 percent of the youth who have these caring adults in their lives do not do drugs – how can we not serve in this capacity?”