12.11.2007 - 03:15pm ET

(CSRwire) LOS ANGELES, CA - December 11, 2007- /PRNewswire/ - It was announced today that three of America's Hall of Fame athletes have partnered for peace within America's disenfranchised communities. Football icon Jim Brown, NBA great Bill Russell and Boxing champion George Foreman have collaborated to launch The Amer-I-Can "Peacemakers" initiative. The official launch of the initiative will coincide with the 20th Anniversary celebration of The Amer-I-Can Foundation, which will take place on January 31, 2008, Superbowl week, in Phoenix, Arizona. The kick-off events include a golf tournament and star-studded gala.

As the fundraising Board of The Amer-I-Can Foundation for social change, the goal is to raise $20 Million dollars by December, 2008 to support the curriculum which currently exists in socially and economically neglected schools and neighborhoods across America. The Peacemakers Board will oversee efforts that will financially support the programs designed to stop the violence, increase the peace and educate young minds in America. George Foreman, one of the first supporters of the program states, "I'm thankful for the opportunity to join forces with two of the world's most exceptional human beings in this quest to save and change lives."

The mission of The "Peacemakers" is to improve communities and save lives being lost to violence among young people, which is rapidly spreading across this country and to empower middle and high school kids, who normally would fall through the cracks, with desperately needed Amer-I-Can life-management skills. Youth violence is not an urban or minority problem, it is an American problem of epidemic proportion.

The Peacemakers initiative is born out of concern that there is a war here on American soil taking more lives than the war in the Middle East. According to the Violence Policy Center, in 2004 three times the amount of young men between the ages of 15 and 24 were killed by guns in America's cities than soldiers in the Middle East. Jim Brown states, "We have an opportunity to exponentially increase the number of lives saved and changed once we begin funding our own programs."

To that Bill Russell adds, "My goal is to bring passion, compassion, and intelligence to my position as Chairman of The Amer-I-Can Peacemaker's initiative."

Since its inception in 1988, over 500,000 youth and young adults have successfully completed the Amer-I-Can training. Students who complete the Amer-I-Can curriculum experience on average a 60% decrease in disciplinary incidents, a 38% decrease in absences and a 35% increase in their grade point averages. The program is changing lives nationally in over 16 states and internationally in the United Kingdom, Belize and South Africa.

For more information on how you can become involved with The Amer-I-Can Foundation for Social Change please visit www.amer-i-can.org or call (310) 652-7884.

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