Boys & Girls Clubs of America Honors Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer
Award-Winning Actor Courtney B. Vance to Emcee

New York [June 4, 2008] – Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) saluted Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer on June 4 with the Champion of Youth Award at its 2008 gala held at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York.

BGCA Chairman Rick Goings presented the honor to Ballmer for Microsoft’s decade-long partnership and $153 million sponsorship which enabled BGCA to establish Club Tech. This initiative has given millions of young people the opportunity to access technology, while helping them develop the necessary skills to advance their academic and career goals.

Former recipients of the Champion of Youth Award include former Secretary of State Colin Powell; award-winning actor and BGCA national spokesperson Denzel Washington; media mogul Ted Turner; tennis star Anna Kournikova; Major League Baseball and Reader’s Digest.

Ballmer received the award before an audience of more than 600 volunteers and donors during a festive evening with entertainment provided by talented Boys & Girls Club members. Award-winning actor and BGCA alum Courtney B. Vance emceed the event. Celebrity guests included Miss USA and New Jersey Nets head coach Lawrence Frank.

“Microsoft’s generosity in closing the gap between hope and opportunity for millions of youth by equipping them with technology skills to succeed in life is invaluable,” said BGCA President Roxanne Spillett. “Our mission is to serve those who need us most and we cannot do this without the partnership and expertise from companies such as Microsoft.”

BGCA and Microsoft created Club Tech in 2000 to technology-enable Clubs worldwide, transforming them from “swim and gym” to “point and click.” Club Tech has three primary areas of emphasis:

1. Teaching youth essential digital literacy skills through fun, interactive programs, including an annual digital arts festival where members compete by creating original digital media such as Web sites, music, movies and photography;

2. Providing young people with the ability to succeed in today’s 21st century technology-driven world by learning critical workforce skills from basic word processing to Web design; and

3. Offering computer training for Club professionals at all levels, including online tutorials.

“Microsoft’s long-term partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America is about providing young people with skills, innovation and career opportunities for tomorrow,” said Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft. “Everyone at Microsoft is very proud and privileged to work with Boys & Girls Clubs to transform programs and to provide youth with the technology tools they need to reach their full potential.”

The gala was chaired by chief executive officer of CA John A. Swainson. As BGCA’s national security partner, CA has provided $4.6 million since 2005 in software solutions to improve the national organization’s technical infrastructure, ensuring operational efficiency, and most importantly, online security for Clubs across the country.

One of the evening’s highlights was remarks from BGCA’s National Youth of the Year Demetrice Tuttle. As the organization’s national teen spokesperson, Tuttle shared how the Club has served as his second home, giving him a chance to lead by example and serve as a positive role model for younger members.

Tuttle, who just completed his freshman year at LaGrange College in Georgia, is preparing for a summer internship in Europe where he will serve as a staff member for a Boys & Girls Club located on a U.S. military base in Germany.

This year’s gala also featured a silent and live auction called by celebrated auctioneer Sebastian Clarke, vice president of Freeman’s, America’s oldest auction house, and an appraiser on the hugely successful PBS show The Antiques Roadshow.

The gala is a premier BGCA fundraising event, and honors those who have had a significant impact on the lives of children and youth. Proceeds from the dinner provide critical funding for the organization, whose affiliates serve some 4.8 million youth through membership and community outreach.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America has been changing and saving young lives, providing hope and opportunity for kids who need them most. Today, some 4,300 Clubs serve some 4.8 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Known as The Positive Place for Kids, Boys & Girls Clubs can be found all across the country and on U.S. military bases throughout the world. Clubs provide young people 6-18 years old with guidance-oriented character development programs conducted by trained, professional staff. In communities large and small, Clubs positively impact lives and help young people reach their full potential as productive, caring citizens. Key Boys & Girls Club programs emphasize leadership development; education and career exploration; community service; financial literacy; health and life skills; the arts; sports, fitness and recreation; and family outreach. In a recent Harris Survey of Club alumni, 57 percent said the Club saved their life. National headquarters are located in Atlanta.

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