THE BRICK AWARDS(R) TO AIR NATIONWIDE ON THE CW NETWORK APRIL 12TH
General Motors and Pepsi empowering first-of-its-kind celeb-studded awards show honoring change-makers; Award show veteran Alex Coletti to helm production; Limited commercial interruption
March 5, 2007 (New York, NY) - The BRICK Awards, which honors twelve young leaders who identified a problem in their community and then got up off the couch and did something about it, announced today that the show will be broadcast nationwide on The CW April 12 with limited commercial interruption. The BRICK Awards will be produced by Alex Coletti, who has created and produced some of the most memorable moments in awards show history. The show will be sponsored by General Motors and Pepsi and JPMorgan Chase will serve as the official financial services sponsor of the BRICK Awards.
The BRICK Award is the premiere national award for community service. Young people and celebrities are honored in four categories: public health, community building, education & environment, and global impact.
This is the first award show produced by the newly formed Alex Coletti Productions and the first award show on the new CW Network. Securing a primetime slot on The CW elevates this award-and community service in general-to the same status as other "fame" based awards being distributed this season.
"General Motors is proud to sponsor programs such as The BRICK Awards, which celebrate the achievements of outstanding young Americans. Their spirit of volunteerism and personal responsibility are an inspiration to all of us, and GM is excited about being part of telling their stories," said Mike Jackson, GM North America vice president, Marketing and Advertising.
"Pepsi has supported the Brick Awards for several years and we couldn't be happier that the honorees will be awarded in front of a national television audience," said James Miller, director of marketing, Pepsi-Cola North America. "Now millions of people will see just how special these young people are and learn about the great work they've done in their communities."
"It's a pleasure to broadcast a show that will shine the spotlight on this extraordinary group of young people," said Dawn Ostroff, president, entertainment, The CW. "Important achievements like these are to be celebrated and applauded, and this show is a great way to accomplish that."
"I'm excited to shake up the award show formula with something so truly meaningful," said Alex Coletti. "It will be great to watch the celebrities stand up and cheer for these young people who are making such an incredible difference in the world around them."
The BRICK Awards puts the spotlight on the young change-makers who have committed themselves to making a difference in the world. By supporting and rewarding young community action 'rock stars,' the BRICK Awards is creating a whole new breed of role models who aren't famous for their fashion choices or their ability to throw a party, but for their dedication to changing the world.
"Other award shows recognize celebrities who can ice skate and people who can sing, it's about time we honor people who actually do really important good work. I'm looking forward to making these kids more famous than Paris Hilton," said Nancy Lublin, CEO of the BRICK Awards.
Each of the 12 BRICK Winners will receive a $10,000 community grant to continue their work. Four of the 12 winners will be selected as Golden BRICK Winners during the BRICK Awards show. The Golden BRICK Winners will receive an additional $15,000 community grant for a total of $25,000.
The 2007 BRICK Award Winners are:
�v Jennifer Staple, 25, Newton, CT - Unite for Sight
�v Ruth DeGolia, 24, New Haven, CT - Mercado Global
�v Jacob Komar, 14, Burlington, CT - Computers for Communities
�v William Hwang, 22, Potomac, MD - United InnoWorks Academy
�v Hannah Taylor, 11, Winnipeg, CN - The Ladybug Foundation, Inc.
�v David Fajgenbaum, 21, Washington, DC - National Students of AMF (Ailing Mothers & Fathers)
�v Kimmie Weeks, 25, Newark, DE - Youth Action International
�v Ashley Rhodes-Courter, 21, Crystal River, FL - North American Council on Adoptable Children
�v Divine Bradley, 24, Brooklyn, NY - Team Revolution
�v Kelly Voight, 14, Palantine, IL - Prevent the Bite
�v Cheryl Perera, 21, Richmond Hill, CN - OneChild Network & Support Systems, Inc.
�v Jennifer Zwilling, 14, Brookville, NY - Tourette Syndrome Association Youth Ambassador Program
Permanent residents and citizens of the U.S. and Canada were eligible to apply for the BRICK Award. For more information regarding the BRICK Awards, visit http://www.brickawards.org/.
About the BRICK Awards
The BRICK Awards honor social change makers and community action tycoons under the age of 25. Young people making a difference in the community can learn more and apply for next year's BRICK Awards at http://www.brickawards.org/.
About Pepsi Corp.
Purchase, N.Y.-based Pepsi-Cola North America (www.pepsi.com) is the refreshment beverage unit of PepsiCo, Inc., in the United States and Canada. Its U.S. brands include Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Jazz, Pepsi ONE, Wild Cherry Pepsi, Diet Pepsi Vanilla, Mountain Dew, Diet Mountain Dew, Mountain Dew Code Red, Mountain Dew LiveWire, Sierra Mist, Sierra Mist Free, Mug, Tropicana Twister Soda, Aquafina, Aquafina FlavorSplash, Aquafina Sparkling, Aquafina Alive, Quaker Milk Chillers, Ben & Jerry's MilkShakes, Dole and Ocean Spray single-serve juices, Tropicana Juice Drinks, IZZE and SoBe. The company also makes and markets North America's best-selling ready-to-drink iced teas and coffees, respectively, via joint ventures with Lipton and Starbucks.
About General Motors Corp.
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader for 76 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 284,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries. In 2006, 9.1 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.
About The CW Network
The CW Network, which is owned jointly by CBS Corp. and Time Warner, Inc., consists of a six-night, 13-hour primetime lineup including Monday through Friday nights from 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET; Sundays from 7:00-10:00 p.m. ET; Sunday from 5:00-7:00 p.m. ET outside of prime time as well as a Monday-Friday afternoon block from 3:00-5:00 p.m. ET and a five-hour Saturday morning animation block. Altogether, the new network programs 30 hours a week over seven days. For more information, visit http://www.cwtv.com/.
About Alex Coletti Productions
The newly formed Alex Coletti Productions has a simple goal; to produce and direct quality music and television programs, specials, performances and features. After 19 years at MTV, which included producing five VMA's, two Super Bowl halftime shows, and the entire Unplugged series, Alex Coletti Productions was formed to give its creator the opportunity to work outside of MTV Networks on quality music and television projects. The BRICK AWARDS is its first major endeavor.
About JPMorgan Chase
JPMorgan Chase has been a supporter of the arts for over 136 years. As a firm, we have supported all areas of the arts through various and numerous grants and sponsorships focusing on educational programs under the theme of Art and Learning. Our mission is to build vibrant communities across the globe enabling people to, "LIVE, LEARN AND THRIVE."
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