Burlington Northern Santa Fe Foundation Invests $500,000 to Secure Future of Four Native American Boys & Girls Clubstitle
Boys & Girls Clubs in Montana and Minnesota Will Target Educational
Enhancement and Drug Prevention Efforts
HELENA, Mont., Nov. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Burlington Northern
Santa Fe Foundation, on behalf of BNSF Railway Company, today announced a
$500,000, five-year commitment to Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) to
support four Native American Clubs located on tribal lands in Montana and
Minnesota.
The announcement benefiting Club members on the Crow, Rocky Boy, and Fort
Peck reservations, all located in Montana, was made in Governor Brian
Schweitzers office this morning.
In commenting on the announcement, Governor Brian Schweitzer said, "Boys &
Girls Clubs offer kids a caring, supportive place. Helping them stay in school
and make healthy choices gives them hope for a brighter future."
BGCA first began working to help Native American children in 1992, with a
promise to open 100 Clubs. Today, some 189 Clubs serve more than 100,000
Native American youth across the country. The purpose is to provide a focus
for Native American children and youth, showing them opportunities and a
reason to anticipate a more positive future.
"Over the last thirteen years of working with Native American youth we
have been inspired by their desire to make positive changes that will improve
their opportunity to succeed in life," said Roxanne Spillett, president of
Boys & Girls Clubs of America. "We are grateful to BNSF for their financial
commitment to make this a reality."
These Native American Clubs are located in communities that lack
infrastructure to help some of Americas most disadvantaged children, facing
rates of teen pregnancy and alcoholism that are more than double those found
elsewhere in the United States.
In addition to the three Clubs in Montana, one in the Leech Lake Area,
Cass Lake, Minnesota, will receive funding. All of these Clubs are located in
communities served by BNSF Railway.
"We have had a long-standing mission supported by BNSF Foundation grants
to help disadvantaged children and youth believe that their lives can change.
Through our support of BGCA in other communities, where BNSF employees work
and live, we have seen the results from several of their key programs," said
Maurice Plott, BNSF general manager, Montana Division.
Beginning in 2005 and continuing through 2009, BGCA will distribute a
total of $50,000, $12,500 each, to the four Native American Clubs on behalf of
BNSF. The remaining $50,000 will form a restricted fund to assist these same
Clubs starting in 2010.
The funds will be used to support two of the most effective programs
developed by BGCA: SMART Moves and Project Learn.
These programs have been adapted to the specific needs of these Native
American Clubs with respective to cultural sensitivity and any communications
challenges. SMART Moves equips young people with the necessary skills to
resist alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.
Project Learn is an education strategy that uses high-yield learning
activities such as journal writing, cooking classes and athletic competition
to help youngsters understand the relevance of an education, sparking a life-
long love of learning. The ultimate goal is to "level the playing field" for
Native American youth, offering them hope and opportunity for a successful
future.
Further, each Club will build a support network of cooperating individuals
-- parent, teachers, peers in the Club, representatives from community
governing bodies and existing community services -- to provide mentoring help
with these education and health programs.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America (http://www.bgca.org ) comprises a national
network of some 3,700 neighborhood-based facilities annually serving more than
4.4 million young people, primarily from disadvantaged circumstances. Known
as "The Positive Place for Kids," the Clubs provide guidance-oriented
character development programs on a daily basis for children 6-18 years old,
conducted by a full-time professional staff. Key Boys & Girls Club programs
emphasize character and leadership development, education and career
development, health and life skills, the arts, sports, fitness and recreation.
A subsidiary of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation (NYSE: BNI), BNSF
Railway operates one of the largest railroad networks in North America, with
about 32,000 route miles in 28 states and two Canadian provinces. The railway
is among the worlds top transporters of intermodal traffic, moves more grain
than any other American railroad, transports the components of many of the
products we depend on daily, and hauls enough low-sulphur coal to generate
about ten percent of the electricity produced in the United States. BNSF
Railway is an industry leader in Web-enabling a variety of customer
transactions at http://www.bnsf.com .
