100 Black Men of Atlanta today announce a collaboration with Walmart® and Sam’s Club® to support the 25th Anniversary of the Atlanta Football Classic (AFC) and ‘Project Success’, the organization’s flagship program dedicated to empowering African-American youth. In anticipation of the big game, Walmart and Sam’s Club will host key community events to rally excitement for the game scheduled to take place Saturday, Oct. 5 at 3:30 p.m. between North Carolina A&T Aggies and the South Carolina State University Bulldogs at the Georgia Dome.
Recognized as one of Georgia’s biggest recurring sporting events, the AFC is the 100 Black Men of Atlanta’s largest fundraiser for ‘Project Success,’ the group’s mentoring, academic support and scholarship program.
“Walmart and Sam’s Club are committed to empowering American youth one community at a time, and ‘Project Success’ is a principal example of great local leaders giving back to the next generation of leaders,,” said Betty Marshall, Sam’s Club regional vice president for the greater Atlanta community. “While this is the first time Walmart and Sam’s Club have supported ‘Project Success’ in an official capacity, we have long been inspired by 100 Black Men of Atlanta’s dedication to growth and development of African-American youth. We are excited to be a part of AFC’s silver anniversary.”
“To have Walmart and Sam’s Club as part of our 25th anniversary of the Atlanta Football Classic this year is monumental. Having two leaders in philanthropy and community improvement support our organization and fundraising efforts for ‘Project Success’ speaks volumes about our continued efforts,” states John Grant, CEO of 100 Black Men of Atlanta. Grant continues, “Without such support, ‘Project Success’ could not successfully achieve our long-term goals of educating, inspiring and mentoring the African-American youth of today.”
The 100 Black Men of Atlanta created ‘Project Success’ in 1987 to help prepare Atlanta Public Schools’ students to successfully graduate from high school and to prepare them for post-secondary education. The mentoring program, led by members of the 100 Black Men of Atlanta and its auxiliary organizations, encourages urban youth to be self-motivated and confident while emphasizing the important of a strong work ethic. Since its inception, 100 percent of ‘Project Success’ students have been accepted into post-secondary institutions and over $6 million of total scholarships have been earned from 2009 to 2012.
Walmart and Sam’s Club will sponsor several events in various communities to rally excitement around the 25th Anniversary of the Atlanta Football Classic. Both Walmart and Sam’s Club kicked-off their community initiatives with the launch of the ‘Project Success’ School on Saturday, September 21 and a live radio remote and celebrity autograph signing with Atlanta Falcon’s Asante Samuel on Saturday, September 28.
Additional community events will include:
- Friday, Oct. 4, Atlanta, Ga., Walmart MLK Store, AFC Kickoff Rally, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m., 835 Martin Luther King Drive, Atlanta, Ga. 30314
- Saturday, Oct. 5, Atlanta, Ga., HBCU Village presented by Sam’s Club, Georgia Dome – orange parking lot
- Half-time check presentation by Walmart and Sam’s Club to 100 Black Men of Atlanta and ‘Project Success’
Your’s truly will be on the sidelines on Saturday bringing all of the action to you LIVE via candid captures and interviews. And you know there will be plenty of Tweets and Instagram pics. So come on out and let’s have some fun!!!!
About the Atlanta Football Classic
First organized by the 100 Black Men of Atlanta in 1989, the Atlanta Football Classic has evolved into the second largest recurring college sporting event in Georgia. Culminating in a sold-out college football game between rival teams, complete with a full marching band showdown, the Classic’s week-long agenda of events includes a town hall meeting on African-American health issues; a collegiate symposium; health, financial, job & college fairs; the Parade of Excellence.
Bringing more than 100,000 visitors into the city, the Atlanta Football Classic generates nearly $30 million in Georgia’s economy each year and now has a permanent exhibit located in the Georgia Dome commemorating its success. A blue-chip roster of sponsors, including: AT&T, Abbott Laboratories, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Coke Zero, Coors Light, Delta Air Lines, Georgia Power, The Home Depot, Kia, MARTA, National Guard, McDonalds, Sam’s Club, Toshiba, U.S. Army, U.S. Marines, UPS andWalmart to make these events possible.
The Atlanta Football Classic has raised more than $3 million during the past six years to fund the organization’s post-secondary preparation and tuition assistance program for at-risk youth, Project Success, and almost $6 million in contributions for the participating universities.
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