5.22.2003 ET

(CSRwire) WASHINGTON, D.C. - Youth Service America (YSA) announces today that beginning in June, Nike will recognize top-performing youth ambassadors in YSA's SERVEnet program with donated Nike performance products. The SERVEnet program is comprised of more than 1,000 youth ambassadors across the United States who educate local and national nonprofits about recruiting volunteers using the power of the Internet. Ambassadors who excel at expanding the site's number of registered organizations and volunteer opportunities, and consistently help improve the quality of content and resources about service and volunteering on SERVEnet.org will be will be rewarded with Nike products such as the Triax 10 Running Timepiece, MARJ Sport Sunglasses, and branded hats and tote bags that Nike donated to YSA and the SERVEnet program.

SERVEnet is home to an expansive talent bank of potential volunteers, as well as a national database of over 35,000 volunteer opportunities. The SERVEnet website, www.SERVEnet.org, matches the skills, experience, and enthusiasm of volunteers of all ages with local organizations that need their participation. This summer SERVEnet ambassadors will broaden their network of local community contacts and provide them with guidance and technical assistance to maximize their community development impact.

"Youth Service America created SERVEnet in 1995 to improve its ability to get more and more youth involved in service and service-learning," said Steven A. Culbertson, President and CEO of Youth Service America. "Nike recognizes that communities are strengthened when young people are actively engaged as resources, assets and leaders today - not just in some distant future," Culbertson added.

"We are proud to support an organization whose values of youth empowerment and community involvement align closely with our own," said Bob Speltz, Nike's Global Director of Community Affairs. "Using technology, passion and entrepreneurial spirit, YSA's SERVEnet ambassadors are leading the way to more connected and informed communities all across the U.S."

Sponsored by the GM and State Farm Companies Foundations, SERVEnet is Youth Service America's award-winning program that leverages cutting-edge technology creating the most comprehensive service and volunteering website on the Internet. Launched in 1995, today SERVEnet provides significant content to the USA Freedom Corps Volunteer Network and was recognized as one of FORBES Best of the Web in 2002 and by Tufts University Child & Family WebGuide. In addition to volunteer opportunities and a talent bank of willing volunteers, SERVEnet hosts the National Service Calendar, and provides the latest service news, effective practices, funding opportunities, trends, statistics, and quotes.

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NIKE, Inc., based in Beaverton, Oregon, is the world's leading designer and marketer of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly owned Nike subsidiaries include Bauer NIKE Hockey Inc., the world's leading manufacturer of hockey equipment; Cole Haan®, which markets a line of high-quality men's and women's dress and casual shoes, and Hurley International LLC, which markets action sports and teen lifestyle apparel. For more information, visit www.nikebiz.com.

YOUTH SERVICE AMERICA (YSA) is a resource center and premier alliance of 300+ organizations committed to increasing the quantity and quality of opportunities for young people in America to serve locally, nationally, or globally. Founded in 1986, YSA's mission is to strengthen the Effectiveness, Sustainability, and Scale of the youth service and service-learning fields. YSA envisions a powerful network of organizations committed to making service and service-learning the common expectation and common experience of all young people in America. A strong youth service network will create healthy communities, and foster citizenship, knowledge, and the personal development of young people. In addition to SERVEnet, YSA's programs include National and Global Youth Service Day, which take place concurrently each April. As the largest service event in the world, engaging millions of young people, National and Global Youth Service Day draw together a remarkable consortium of local, regional, national, and international youth groups and municipal partners, while recruiting the next generation of young volunteers. For more information, visit www.YSA.org.

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