Host of MTV'S Pimp My Ride and FRAM® Team Up to Teach Car Care Skills to Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica Youth

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Aug. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a recent study, 90 percent of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America youth graduate high school, thanks in large part to influential mentor relationships built at the clubs. Bottom line: Mentoring works. With this in mind, America's leading oil filter brand FRAM® (www.fram.com), MTV's Pimp My Ride host Xzibit, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica kicked off the FRAM Ready to Role program, a nationwide initiative aimed at instilling confidence in young men through mentorship and hands-on car maintenance skills.

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"Unlike with past generations where people took pride in caring for their vehicles, most youth aren't taught do-it-yourself car care skills. But we're aiming to change that," said Duane Pekar, brand leader for FRAM. "The hope of Ready to Role is to reignite that 'under the hood' passion and build confidence in at-risk youth – to give these young men skills they can use on their car and in life."

During the three-hour kick-off event at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica's Main Branch, FRAM technicians, local car buffs, and Xzibit taught the fundamentals of car maintenance to more than 50 club members ages 11 to 14 who participate in the Passport to Manhood character and life skills program. In between working on cars, the young men and technician volunteers spent time discussing cars and life over pizza.

"We know that connections with caring adults have a significant impact on the self-esteem of our young people. That's why we create opportunities for them to be exposed to productive mentoring relationships," said Aaron Young, chief executive officer of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica. "The FRAM Ready to Role program teaches our kids new confidence-building skills that they can use later in life. At the same time, mentors show them they can achieve anything they put their minds to."

FRAM also donated $5,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Monica, and gave each child a personal car-care kit so they can continue to work under the hood of their own family vehicles.  

The next Ready to Role event will take place in October with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago.

For more information on how to easily care for your vehicle, visit www.fram.com. To learn more about how to become a Boys & Girls Club member or volunteer, visit www.bgca.org.

About FRAM Group

FRAM Group is headquartered in Danbury, Conn. Leading automotive care products include FRAM® oil, air, transmission and fuel filters; Autolite® spark plugs and ignition wire sets are sold by FRAM Group Operations LLC. Prestone Products Corporation's Prestone® antifreeze/coolant and car care products and Holts® car care are also part of the FRAM Group family of products. FRAM Group maintains R&D capabilities in the United States and Europe and has a manufacturing footprint in 10 countries worldwide.

About The Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica

Founded in 1944, Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica serves 7,000-plus youth through memberships and community outreach.  They come from all over Los Angeles County, largely from Santa Monica, Venice, West Los Angeles and Inglewood.  Members pay a $20 annual fee for access to all Club amenities and programs that span across education, leadership, recreation and more.  The Club serves children from all backgrounds, regardless of economic circumstances – ensuring that youth ages 7 to 18 have a safe and nurturing environment to develop socially, succeed in school, stay physically active and prepare for positive futures.  Learn more at www.begreatsantamonica.org, on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/smbgcfan) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/SMBGC)

SOURCE FRAM Group