23rd Annual Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic Delivers Major Impact on the Atlanta Community

ATLANTA, Oct. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More than 59,370 fans were on hand at the GA Dome to watch a new historic rivalry commence between Florida A&M and Southern University. The Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic, on Saturday, September 24, 2011, brought tens of thousands of fans and alumnus to Atlanta for a weekend unmatched among HBCU classics. Annually the Classic raises scholarships for both schools and the 100's Project Success program. In addition, many members of the Atlanta community, along with visitors attending the game, participate in free events that educate, enrich and empower lives generationally.

Youth Symposium Presented by McDonald's – On September 22, 2011, 640 Atlanta high school students and 300 B.E.S.T. Academy students benefited from a youth symposium: Empowering males towards success: Impacting the World Beyond your Community LIFE. Members of 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Inc., parents and adults from the surrounding community attended and supported this event. The B.E.S.T. Academy, the 100 supported all-male academy focused on business, engineering, science and technology, hosted schools from across the Atlanta Public School system.

Robotics Showcase & Invitational - Georgia World Congress Center was the setting for the 2nd Annual Robotics Showcase presented by Georgia Power on September 23, 2011. Keynote Speaker Kelvin M. Manning, NASA Kennedy Space Center's Associate Director for Business Operations, spoke to over 875 students who came to display and operate their team creations. Students who hailed from Atlanta Public Schools, Douglass County, Floyd County, Gwinnett County, Cobb County and Bibb County Schools, spent the day learning from each other. Over 20 teams launched and mentored by the Project Success Robotics Alliance were in attendance, along with the following organizations: Georgia Tech Robotics, Spelman Robotics, Georgia FIRST (FLL, FTC, FRC), Vex, LEGO Education and NASA.

Celebrate Health Celebrate Living Fair Presented by Abbott Laboratories - 100 Black Men of Atlanta, in partnership with presenting sponsor Abbott Laboratories, hosted the annual health fair on September 23, 2011 to provide basic health services and information to underserved individuals. The 2011 fair included a host of health vendors, health care experts, along with free screenings for blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, HIV and dental, available to all attendees.  

Fan Experience: Featuring the Coors Light Cold Zone – Over 10,430 fans interacted with sponsors who provided giveaways, games, prizes, gift cards and much more. Highlights included the AT&T Soundstage and a U.S. Army interactive experience. This free event, along with $10 game tickets, makes the Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic the ultimate family fun activity.

Parade of Excellence Presented by Kia - The Parade of Excellence presented by KIA Motors, along with supporting sponsor Toshiba Business Solutions, is the largest parade of its kind to step down Peachtree Street. The focus of the parade is to acknowledge youth for academic achievement while spotlighting the participants of Project Success and students from Georgia schools. This year's parade included 21 bands, highlighted by the Southern University Human Jukebox and FAMU's Marching 100.  Televised by WSBTV and hosted by Chanel 2 Action News anchors Jovita Moore and Fred Blankenship, the broadcast received a 2.4 household rating (1st in timeslot), approximately 173,000 viewers. The parade was also broadcast live on www.wsbtv.com.  

College Fair - This free college fair was open to the public and provided Atlanta youth, and those visiting for the Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic, access to admissions and financial aid representatives from HBCU's and majority institutions. More than sixty colleges and universities met with high school juniors and seniors, and their parents, with the objective of providing information and access to higher education. An estimated 3,000 attended and scholarship awards ranged from $6,538 per year to full 4-year tuition payments.

As 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Inc. celebrated the organization's 25th Anniversary, they were joined by game sponsors Bank of America, Georgia Power, McDonald's, Home Depot, Coors Light, Delta Air Lines, Kia Motors, Coke Zero, Abbott Laboratories, U.S. Army, Liquid Soul Media, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, AT&T, Upscale, Bronner Brothers, Atlanta Inquirer, Toshiba Business Solutions, and Marta. View photos at www.atlantafootballclassic.com. To learn more about Project Success visit www.100blackmen-atlanta.org.

SOURCE As 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Inc.