From New York City's Empire State Building to San Francisco's City Hall, America's Landmarks Will Light Up in Yellow and Blue This Week for the 20th Anniversary of Lights On Afterschool

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- This Thursday, October 24, as America celebrates Lights On Afterschool for the 20^th consecutive year, landmarks across the country will light up in yellow and blue to support the afterschool programs that keep kids safe, inspire them to learn, and give working parents peace of mind each afternoon after the school day ends and before they get home from work. The 20^th anniversary of Lights On Afterschool will involve a million people at more than 8,000 open houses, science fairs, showcases, academic contests, community service activities, sports competitions, and other events across the country. Organized by the Afterschool Alliance, Lights On Afterschool is America's only national rally for afterschool programs.

Among the landmarks that are lighting up this week for Lights On Afterschool:

• In New York City, the Empire State Building will light up in blue and yellow beginning at sunset Thursday. At 7 pm, Clear Channel will freeze two Times Square billboards on afterschool messages for 30 minutes.  
• In Connecticut, the Walnut Hill Park WWII Memorial.  
• In California, San Francisco's City Hall.
• In Florida, there will be lightings across Orlando, including the Orlando Eye, Tower of Light, Cedar of Lebanon, and at seven other prominent locations.  
• In Georgia, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta.  
• In Kansas and Missouri, an afterschool message will be displayed on the Kansas City Downtown Marriott and lightings will take place at the Kansas Power & Light Building, the Waldo Water Tower, Meyer Circle SeaHorse Fountain, and Children's Mercy Park.  
• In Louisiana, the Superdome in New Orleans.  
• In Massachusetts, Clear Channel will light Boston's South Station in blue and yellow.  
• Across Michigan, prominent sights will light up, including the Spirit of Detroit, Lansing Board of Water & Light's central substation, and Ypsilanti's Water Tower. 
• In Minnesota, the I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis.  
• In Missouri, the Aquarium in St. Louis and the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel in Branson.  
• In Pennsylvania, the State Capitol in Philadelphia.  
• In South Carolina, the Furman University Bell Tower in Greenville.  
• In Tennessee, three bridges in Memphis and the Korean Memorial in Nashville.  
• In Texas, Houston's City Hall, Aquarium and Montrose Bridge.  
• In Virginia, Hampton City Hall, the Hampton Roads Convention Center, and the Virginia Air and Space Center. 
• In West Virginia, the Coliseum and Convention Center in Charleston.

"The lights will indeed be on for afterschool on Thursday! This spectacular show of support – with landmarks lighting up across the country – is a tribute to the terrific work quality afterschool and summer learning programs do to help our children succeed in school and in life," said Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant. "Afterschool programs help students hone their skills, develop their talents and explore their passions during the afterschool hours, when they might otherwise become involved with crime or risky behaviors."

Last week, a report from the more than 5,000 sheriffs, police chiefs, and prosecutors of the organization Fight Crime: Invest in Kids – part of the Council for a Strong America – released "From Risk to Opportunity: Afterschool Programs Keep Kids Safe." It shows that the hours following school remain the "prime time for juvenile crime." The group analyzed FBI crime data from 36 states, finding that the majority suffered spikes in crime from 2:00 to 6:00 PM. The report describes afterschool programs as one of the best crime prevention strategies, an effective way to guide young people toward success in school and readiness for productive careers.

The America After 3PM household survey of more than 30,000 families, commissioned by the Afterschool Alliance, found that participation in afterschool programs has increased to 10.2 million students nationwide – but unmet demand is great. For every child in an afterschool program, two more are waiting to get in.

Governments, parents, philanthropies, businesses and others support afterschool and summer learning programs, but investments are under threat.

Nickelodeon, KIND and Clear Channel are generous sponsors of Lights On Afterschool.

SOURCE Afterschool Alliance