NEW YORK, March 19, 2009 – Three youth, aged 10, 13 and 18, along with their
mentors from Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC (BigsNYC) will appear on
the Waldorf=Astoria ballroom stage, in front of 1,000 people, at the
30^th Annual Sidewalks of New York Awards Dinner on April 28 to present awards
on the occasion of the  agency’s 105^th Anniversary.

Honorees are: Soledad O’Brien, CNN anchor & special correspondent and
long-time BigsNYC friend; New York Giants’ Superbowl Champion Defensive End
Justin Tuck; and BigsNYC Chairman Emeritus Edward L. Gardner, President
of Industrial Solvents Corporation.  

Richard D. Parsons is dinner chair and NFL Hall of Famer Lynn Swann will be
 the master of ceremonies.

Each award is presented to the honoree by a child and his/her mentor.
The matches have written and practiced their own remarks, making for moving,
 heartfelt presentations touched with their unique wits and personalities. The event
 is slated to raise $1.7 million dollars for mentoring programs helping the youth
New York City.

When:                 Monday, April 28, 2008        

6:30pm Cocktail Hour (Jade & Astor Salon)

7:40pm              Opening Remarks

8:30pm              Program with Lynn Swann as emcee

Who:                             Honorees:

§         Soledad O’Brien, CNN anchor/special correspondent

§         Justin Tuck, New York Giant Superbowl Champion

§         Edward Gardner, President, Industrial Solvents Corporation

Where:               The Waldorf =Astoria Grand Ballroom 

Tickets:              Tickets begin $1,000. To purchase, msanandres@dsconsultinggroup.com

Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City has been nurturing children’s potential
since 1904 when Ernest Coulter, the Clerk of the Manhattan Children’s Court,
realized that the personal interest of one caring adult could have the power to
 change the life of a troubled youth.  An early advocate for preventive services
 over incarceration, Mr. Coulter urged business and community

leaders to get involved in the lives of children who were on the verge of being
 branded criminals for life.  With his call for volunteers, America's national
mentoring movement was born.

More than one hundred years later, the need to help at-risk youth break their feelings
of isolation and connect with positive adult role models is stronger than ever. 
The majority of children at-risk in the nation are from low-income
single-family households where their parents/caregivers are struggling to do the job
 of two.  Research has consistently demonstrated the ability of mentoring -
in particular, the one-to-one mentoring model under the guidance of trained
case managers - to boost self-confidence, reduce negative behaviors, and
improve academic attendance and performance of at-risk youth.