STROGER UNVEILS HOLISTIC PEACE PLAN

By Chinta Strausberg

Board President Todd H. Stroger Saturday unveiled his inaugural Cook County Night Basketball League (CCNBL) game which included playing in a basketball game with former NBA superstars during the kick off his holistic anti-violence plan. Stroger's plan offers not just sports but it provides free adult education, County health care services, job training, life skill courses and counseling for troubled youths.

Joined by former Chicago Bulls superstar Bob “Butterbean” Love at a press conference held at Malcolm X College, 1900 West Van Buren, Stroger said: “Today, we're showing that all of us want to be productive citizens in choosing positive alternatives and not choosing violence.

“In these troubled economic times, violent behavior seems to permeate our communities not just here in Cook County but throughout the entire country,” Stroger said.

“We're also living in a changing economic time…unprecedented in modern time.” Stroger said that is why the government needs to play a “larger role in ensuring the safety of people everywhere.

Dr. Earl B. King, deputy director of the President's Office of Employment and Training (P.O.E.T.), explained that the program targets youths between the ages of 17 and 30 who either don't have an education or those who have failed. The goal is to help them obtain their GED and a four-year college degree.

“The City Colleges of Chicago has partnered” with this Peace Fest initiative which was launched last year by President Stroger. According to King, there will be 14 teams participating in the CCNBL.

King made it clear that: “basketball is just one component of this operation because if they do not go to class, they will not be able to compete in the CCNBL….”

King explained that Emily Love, the wife of Bob Love, along with Dennis Holmes, the executive director of CCNBL, will be tracking the student's grades and their attendance. Mr. Love told the students “We want you to think education first, sports second.” He warned them to put a greater emphasis on the points per game (PPG) but rather on their SAT score.

Harold Noonie Ward, author and former gang leaders, is a living testimony of how students can turned their lives around. “Life ain't nothing but choices. What ever you do make the right choices. I made two bad choices, but God gave me a chance” to turn his life around. He urged them to transformed their minds and take advantage of President Stroger's 'second chance” program.

A West Side housing developer, Pastor M.G. Hunter, New Jerusalem 133rd Psalms MBC, who is the 16th of 21 children, told the students: "I've lived in this city for 42-years, and I don't have a police record. I don't know how it feels to have handcuffs on me.... I made a different choice...." "In our community, it is not incarceration. It's education...." He told them God helped him and can help them, too.

Joining President Stroger were: Love, the Director of Community Affairs for the Bulls and Commissioner of the CCNBL, his wife, Emily, director of Education for CCNBL, Gloster Richardson, former NFL Superbowl champion who is the Dean of Students for the CCNBL, retired Judge Ray Figueroa, Dan Cantrell District Director for U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-7th), Darlene and Howard Sandifer, administrator and executive director of the Chicago West Community Music Center, Ramonski Luv of V-103, Dennis Holmes, the executive director of CCNBL, Darryll King with the “Bling Bling” from Soul 106.3 FM, and 102 FM, who is the spokesperson for CCNBL, Marcus Austin, co-chair of the CCNBL, former NBA players and CCNBL Ambassadors Mickey Johnson and Andre Wakefield; and dozens of astudent pplicants.



PRESS RELEASE:

COOK COUNTY NIGHT BASKETBALL LEAGUE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MEDIA CONTACT: Dr. Earl B. King, mobile (708) 257-2885,
e-mail: ebking@cookcountygov.com

Press Conference/CCNBL Draft and Registration/ Celebrity Kick-Off
Basketball Game 4 P.M., Saturday, June 6, 2009, Malcolm X College, 1900 West Van Buren, Chicago, IL Game time is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Stroger Presents the Cook County Night Basketball League (CCNBL) which
will offer free continuing adult education, health care, and job
training programs.

Chicago, IL - County Board President Todd H. Stroger will kick-off his
second annual summer Peace Fest initiative by hosting the first
Inaugural season of the Cook County Night Basketball League beginning at
4 P.M., Saturday, June 6, 2009, at Malcolm X College, 1900 West Van Buren,
offered as an educational, productive and positive alternative to violence.

To address the idleness that often times lead to violence, President
Stroger's CCNBL is taking a holistic approach to reducing violence.
Besides offering sports to youth, the CCNBL will also provide free
continuing adult education courses, health care counseling, life
skills/job training and other corresponding Cook County services to
residents of undeserved communities.

“As the economy struggles to rebound, the lack of quality educational
programs and failing schools are on the rise causing violent behavior to
increase especially in marginalized communities that suffer the
Socioeconomic effects of these realities,” said President Stroger.

“I believe in participating with initiatives such as the Cook County
Night Basketball League because we can provide critical resources and
give support to those communities which have been overlooked in the
past," Stroger stated. "I am very proud of the former NBA superstars
like former Chicago Bulls superstar Bob "Butterbean" Love, the Director
of Community Affairs for the
Bulls, who like others on our team continue to give back to the
community." Love is Commissioner of the CCNBL.

Joining President Stroger will be elected officials, ministers,
educators, and athletes, who will be contributing valuable resources and
time to support the educational, health, and life development components
of League.

Also present will be supporters and cosponsors of this event including:
City College of Chicago Presidents and educational administrators, Mr.
Ron Huberman, Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Public Schools, and
the CCNBL staff.

Participating in the CCNBL Celebrity Basketbal l Game will be former NBA
Basketball stars/CCNBL Ambassadors including: Mickey Johnson, Rickey
Green, Sonny Parker, Andre Wakefield, and Earl King. There will also be
additional celebrities such as Ramonski Luv from V103 and a special
appearance from Darryll King with the “Bling, Bling," spokesperson for
the CCNBL, from Soul
106.3. The two celebrity coaches of both teams will be Mr. Bob “Butter
Bean” Love and Mr. Gloster Richardson, former NFL star.

The CCNBL will continue until Saturday, August 20, 2009. The games will
be played in various community colleges throughout Cook County.
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