News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date:	Tuesday, September 14, 1999
Contact:	Angelita Plemmer, City Manager's Office, (703) 838-4300; Suzanne Kratzok, Project Discovery Coordinator, Department of Human Services, (703) 838-0915

Project Discovery Launches Walk-A-Thon for College-Bound Teens

The Alexandria Advisory Board for Project Discovery is sponsoring the Fourth Annual WALK for the FUTURE: Taking the Right Steps for College Walk-a-Thon on Saturday, September 25, to raise funds for Project Discovery, a program primarily for low-income teens who are the first members of their families to have the opportunity to attend college.

NBC News Channel 4 Reporter James Adams will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the event, which will begin at 10 a.m. at the Minnie Howard School lower parking lot (3801 W. Braddock Road, Alexandria). Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. The WALK will start at the school, follow Braddock Road and end at Fort Ward Park. The distance is approximately one mile and the WALK culminates in a free celebration picnic at Fort Ward.

The WALK will bring together students, parents, teachers, and community and business leaders to raise money for educational and culturally-enriching activities for the 130 young people who participate in the program each year. Each walker is encouraged to solicit contributions to support Project Discovery. All contributions are tax deductible. Prizes will be awarded to the four highest youth fundraisers and the two highest adult fundraisers following the WALK. There also will be a raffle drawing for 20 different prizes, including restaurant certificates, Beanie Babies and Blockbuster gift certificates.

Major sponsors of the WALK include William D. Euille & Associates, Inc., the Hoffman Companies, Bob Duncan Real Estate, Washington Gas, 7-Eleven, the Society for Human Resource Management, Jones Communications, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Wheat First Union Securities and Coca-Cola Enterprises.

Under the auspices of the Alexandria Department of Human Services and in conjunction with the Alexandria City Public Schools, Project Discovery has helped expose more than 1,000 students to the opportunities of higher education since its inception 14 years ago. Through workshops, trips to local and out-of-town colleges and culturally-enriching experiences, students learn about setting and achieving educational goals, selecting a college, applying to college, applying for financial aid and effective time management and study skills. Graduates of the program have attended and graduated from a number of two-year and four-year prestigious colleges including, the University of Virginia, Howard University, Old Dominion University, Norfolk State University, Virginia State University, Georgetown University, The George Washington University, the University of Maryland and Northern Virginia Community College. In the T. C. Williams High School graduating Class of 1999, 93% of the participating high school seniors report
ed that they will attend a two-year or four-year college, or technical school in the fall.

For more information and to register or volunteer for the WALK for the FUTURE: Taking the Right Steps for College call (703) 838-0901.