BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF METRO ATLANTA PAINTS THE TOWN WITH “75 BLUE DOORS” PROJECT

Public Art Collaboration Celebrates the Organization’s 75^th Anniversary and

Shares Inspiring Stories of Kids and Staff

Atlanta, GA – March 29, 2013 – During April, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta is launching the “75 Blue Doors” project to celebrate its 75^th anniversary and show how local Clubs are “opening doors” for youth in and around Atlanta. The project, presented by Leadership Atlanta and WonderRoot, partners 25 artists with local Boys & Girls Clubs to create 75 individual art displays. Each piece of art is inspired by kids and teens at the Club who are focused on achieving GREAT FUTURES and the dedicated staff members who are helping them get there.

The city of Atlanta will serve as a living gallery for these works of art. While several doors will start their display April 1, the majority of artwork will hit public locations on April 7 to kick off national Boys & Girls Clubs Week. Blue doors will be featured in prominent locations, such as Atlanta City Hall, the FOX Theatre, SunTrust Plaza, Atlanta History Center and Turner Field. Artwork will remain on display through April 30.

Individuals can view a full gallery of the blue doors at www.75bluedoors.org where they can vote for their favorite and give $75 to help shape futures and open doors for the youth in their communities. On this website, viewers can also read stories of the kids and staff who inspired the doors and check out biographies of the talented artists involved.

“We are so proud of the kids and staff who make our Clubs great and grateful to the many partners involved in bringing their stories to life through this project,” said Missy Dugan, president & CEO at Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta. “We hope the community is inspired to give and get involved to support our next 75 years.”

BGCMA serves more than 3,400 kids each day providing an environment where youth feel safe and secure to dream, discover and develop their potential. By 2020, the organization is working to ensure that 90 percent of the youth it serves are graduating on time, living healthy lifestyles and giving back to their communities.

BGCMA would like to thank all of its supporters for opening doors and helping build GREAT FUTURES for kids and teens in and around Atlanta. To find out more about the “75 Blue Doors” project, visit www.75bluedoors.org. To give to support our 75^th anniversary, visit http://bgcma.convio.net/75BlueDoors.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta

Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta’s (BGCMA) mission is to save and change the lives of children and teens, especially those who need us most, by providing a safe, positive and engaging environment and programs that prepare and inspire them to achieve Great Futures. Through 24 Clubs in 10 metro counties, trained and professional staff serve more than 3,400 youth (ages 6-18) daily through programs that foster academic success, healthy lifestyles and character and leadership development. BGCMA also oversees Camp Kiwanis, a 160-acre outdoor residence camp, and the Youth Art Connection (YAC), a gallery and workspace for young artists. While the cost to effectively serve those who need us most is more than $4,000 per member, BGCMA asks families to pay only a $35 annual membership fee and no child is turned away due to inability to pay. For more information, please visit www.bgcma.org.

Leadership Atlanta Class of 2013

Celebrating more than 40 years of developing leaders, Leadership Atlanta is the oldest sustained community leadership program in the nation. Together with an expansive network of distinguished alumni, Leadership Atlanta continues a proud tradition of connecting and inspiring leaders to strengthen metro Atlanta's communities.

WonderRoot

WonderRoot is an Atlanta-based non-profit arts and service organization with a mission to unite artists and community to inspire positive social change. By providing production facilities to Atlanta-based artists and coordinating arts-based service programs, WonderRoot empowers artists to be proactive in engaging their communities through arts-based service work. We believe that art is an agent of change and that by empowering people with the means to create art, we are in turn empowering people with the means to create change.