Michael Baisden launches “One Million Mentors”

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Citadel Media’s Michael Baisden has created a campaign to encourage one million Americans to sign up as mentors for children in need through a national outreach effort. The One Million Mentors Campaign to Save Our Kids will launch with its first event in Dallas on 2/17 and hit the road to visit 72 cities in a campaign-themed bus. At each tour stop along the way, Baisden will host mentoring forums in partnership with local mentoring organizations and affiliates of Big Brothers Big Sisters, National CARES Mentoring Movement and 100 Black Men.


“The video taped beating of Chicago teen Derrion Albert was truly the final straw for me, said Baisden. “After seeing it broadcast repeatedly on national news I knew I needed to step up and get involved personally in the effort to save our kids. My hope is that by touring across the country, this national mentoring campaign will have an impact on some of these young people who need caring adults involved in their lives.”

With more than 14 million young people in need of a mentor (source: mentoring.org), the tour will visit a total of 72 markets including New Orleans, Nashville, Miami, Philadelphia, Baltimore, St. Louis, Chicago and Washington, DC. At each event, participants will have the opportunity to hear firsthand accounts as local mentors share their personal success stories of working with children in their community. Representatives from local mentoring programs will be available to register qualified adults for training and ultimately match them with area children on waiting lists for mentors.

In addition to driving registration for new mentors, Baisden will also be raising funding for mentoring programs across the tour markets by matching contributions from participants up to $350,000. The Michael Baisden Foundation, which is dedicated to providing educational support in communities, will then direct the funds toward local mentoring programs.