June, 2010

(Event planned
for September
10th-12th, 2010)

The National Youth Leadership Summit will be held Friday, September 10th - Sunday, September 12th at the National 4-H Youth Conference Center in DC. This event is sponsored by the HHS Healthy Relationships/Healthy Marriage grant. An expert guest speaker panel and a video presentation from "Look Before You Leap" is planned. There will also be a dance for leadership students on Saturday night. Some topics to be addressed at the summit include: Benefits of Healthy Relationships and Marriage, Drugs and Alcohol, Dating Violence, and AIDs and STDs. Contact Robin Williams at (202) 478-9677 for details.

Attention New Ninth Graders! You are invited to attend.
Participation in the Diamond Girl and Best Men Leadership programs gives high school students a chance to apply for a college scholarship. The programs provide information to help students be successful in high school and have healthy relationships. They learn how to avoid the risks to a successful and happy life.

Landmark research published in the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine proves abstinence education effective
The Washington Post and The New York Times reported that a federally funded study producing the highest level of scientific evidence evaluated an abstinence class for an extended period of time and found it as effective or more effective than compared classes. The study was led John B. Jemmott III, PhD a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Jemmott, his wife, Loretta S. Jemmott, PhD, RN and Geoffrey T. Fong, Phd conducted the randomized controlled trial of 662 6th and 7th grade students in urban public schools.
• Link to the Washington Post article • Link to the New York Times article
• Link to the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine article

The 2010 Foundation Annual Fundraising Event will be held Thursday evening May 13th at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, DC. Please contact Ann Goldsmith at (202) 478-9685 for sponsorship and ticket information

Best Friends staff referenced on The World Over with Raymond Arroyo radio program
Pauline Hamlette, National and Metropolitan Program Director of the Best Friends Foundation and Robin Williams, Best Friends Metropolitan Program Manager of the Best Friends Foundation were referenced on the rise in teen pregnancy rates.
Download the program (may be downloaded for private use only)

Best Friends on Laura Ingraham
Elayne Bennett, President and Founder of the Best Friends Foundation was on the Laura Ingraham radio show to discuss teen pregnancy.

September 11-13, 2009

The 2009 Best Friends Foundation
National Youth Leadership Summit
was held September 11th—13th at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC.
See a .pdf of the newsletter for this event, "The Leader."

Best Friends on Bennett Mornings
Elayne Bennett, President and Founder of the Best Friends Foundation and Valerie Huber were on Bennett Mornings radio show Follow this link to hear the broadcast on townhall.com.

The 2009 Foundation Annual Fundraising Event "Make Music Not Madness" was held Friday evening June 5th at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, DC. Attendees, donors and distinguished guests enjoyed a heartwarming evening of great music, dining and dancing to benefit our DC students. Best Friends celebrates 22 years of programs that "Make Music Not Madness." The Best Friends Foundation expresses our heartfelt appreciation to all who attended and donated to benefit our services to youth. We especially wish to thank these donors:

Benefactor Council–Susan and Lawrence Kadish
Patron Council–Elayne and Bill Bennett, GEICO, Jim Kimsey-Kimsey Foundation, Marlene and Fred Malek, The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, Bill O'Reilly
Friends Council–L & S Milken Foundation, Rosenthal Automotive

March 30, 2009

Best Friends on Fox News—The O'Reilly Factor

Elayne Bennett, President and Founder of the Best Friends Foundation, appeared on The O’Reilly Factor on the FOX News Channel on Monday, March 30, 2009 at 8:00 pm EST (repeated at 11 pm EST) to discuss the youth development and character education.

February 22, 2009

Best Friends Health is Happiness Day
9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
“Stop the Madness” Panel Luncheon and “Make Music Not Madness” Assembly
Noon – 2:30 p.m.

For additional Health is Happiness Day Information contact:
Rita Kelly Burns or Robin Williams at 202-478-9677
rburns@bestfriendsfoundation.org
rwilliams@bestfriendsfoundation.org

February 20-22, 2009

Holiday Party
The Holiday Party for Best Friends and Best Men mentors and the College Council students was held on Saturday, December 13th at Catholic University. Christmas came early for the Metropolitan Leadership Choir, Best Men Leadership Step Team, and Diamond Girl Leadership Dance Troupe as they performed at the Angel for a Day celebration on the campus of Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. Approximately 500 children from area schools enjoyed a fun-filled afternoon of carols, games, and activities. A highlight was a Secret Santa room where approximately 1000 toys were distributed.

Sponsored by the DC Young Men’s Leadership Team, the fifth annual holiday event brought smiles to the faces of all who attended. Special guest Bishop Martin D. Holley of the Archdiocese of Washington DC commended the young people for their hard work and spirit of service and expressed his gratitude to those who “gave so generously of their time and effort to provide such joy and hope to the young children.”

May 9, 2008

November 9,2007

Best Friends on Fox News—The O'Reilly Factor

Elayne Bennett, President and Founder of the Best Friends Foundation, appeared on The O’Reilly Factor on the FOX News Channel on Friday, November 9 at 8:00 pm EST (repeated at 11 pm EST) to discuss the Best Friends Foundation programs.

Read or print a .pdf of a transcript of the interview.

July 22-25, 2007
Youth Leadership Summit

John Walters

Melba Moore

America’s youth at our nation’s capitol for our Youth Leadership Summit

Washington, DC – Youth and adult mentors from Washington, DC and across the nation participated in the Best Friends Foundation’s third annual National Youth Leadership Summit – Today’s Leaders, Tomorrow’s Future at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, July 22-25, 2007.  Over 150 youth leaders attended this national leadership summit to hear from presenters and engage in discussions that address the current state of youth.  Each youth leader gained a greater knowledge on how to avoid violence, drugs, alcohol and premarital sex, as well as listened to presentations on college/career prep and financial planning. 

Summit Highlights:
John Walters, Director of The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, spoke to youth leaders from around the country during a keynote luncheon address: “The Current State of Adolescent Drug Use.”

“Stop The Madness,” panel discussion. Experts discussed issues and solutions regarding adolescent risk behavior.  Panelists included The Honorable Robert Flores, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; Dr. David Murray, Chief Scientist for Counter-Drug Technology Assessment Center, Office of National Drug Control Policy; Jose Dominguez, Director of Grants Administration, DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation; Tyrone C. Parker, Co-founder and Executive Director of Alliance for Concerned Men; Beverly Watts Davis, Senior Advisor on Substance Abuse Policy, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA); and Seth Leibsohn, Producer of William Bennett’s “Morning In America” radio show.  Best Friends Foundation Founder and President, Elayne Bennett, served as moderator.

Best Friends Foundation’s student musical production, “Make Music Not Madness,” with special guest appearance by acclaimed singer and actress Melba Moore, most recognized for making history as Luttiebelle in the Broadway production “Purlie,” and becoming the first black actress to win a Tony Award for Best Supporting Actress.

May 11, 2007
DC Recognition
Ceremony

20th Anniversary

March 4th, 2006

"Do You Remember When Rock Was Young?" Annual event was held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC. At the Best Friends Foundation’s annual fundraiser philanthropist Foster Friess and his wife Lynn announced a million dollar match offer to the audience.  They extended the match for monies raised by the Foundation until
March 31st and then donated one million dollars to the Foundation at a special "Have a Heart" dinner on March 30th. The Foundation expresses it's deepest gratitude for their caring generosity and to all the donors who contributed during the Million Match campaign. We cannot thank you enough.
Contact Roberta Freer, (202) 478-9677 or Elayne Bennett (202) 478-9684 for more details.

The March 4th fundraiser event audience of students and dignitaries was overwhelmingly enthusiastic.  Special guests included Mayor Anthony Williams, Senator George Allen, Susan Allen, Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele, Andrea Steele, Representative Roy Blunt, Ambassador Van Eenennaam of the Netherlands, Ambassador Jim Nicholson, Norman Mineta, Secretary of Transportation, Gail Norton, Secretary of the Interior, Jim Kimsey, Fred and Marlene Malek, Jack Evans, John McLaughlin, Morton Kondracke and William Bennett, former Secretary of Education.   

Students from the Best Friends, Best Men, Diamond Girl Leadership, and Best Men Leadership Programs featured their musical talents in a special performance with Kathy Sledge of Sister Sledge of “We Are Family” and “Let’s Hear it for the Boys.” The students’ performance “brought down the house.”  The Best Men boys step drill and drum line was awe-inspiring and led to the generous match offer.  Three Dog Night appropriately concluded the truly joyous evening with their hit “Joy to the World.” All proceeds from the event went to support the Best Friends Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Best Friends Foundation Youth Leadership Summit and National Youth Summit
Best Friends, Best Men and Leadership participants from Washington, DC, Milwaukee, WI, Erie, PA, San Diego, CA and Clay County, KY gathered for the first ever Best Friends Youth Leadership Summit from July 25th Ð July 28th. Day one of the summit was devoted to the Best Friends curriculum as leadership students immersed themselves in information from their student journals. While serving as ambassadors for their sites, the students discussed topics such as; violence prevention, media influences, decision making and participated in a debate about positive music choices. The activities concluded with a banquet to honor all College Council members who received scholarships in addition to the new Diamond Girl bracelet. At the end of the night, all of the students attending the Summit had the opportunity to take a tour of Washington, DCÕs monuments and landmarks. Over the next few days, the Foundation partnered with the Family and Youth Services Bureau of the Department of Health and Human Services for their Annual Youth Summit, which was also held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC. Leadership students had the chance to meet and work with other youth from all over the country and engage in seminars on advocacy in their communities and on enhancing their leadership skills. The students had a marvelous time at this year's youth summit.

Mona Charen's article "Abstaining on abstinence data" appeared in THE WASHINGTON TIMES. See the article online.
The article concerned the study of the Best Friends program by Robert Lerner, Ph.D., published in the Journal of Adolescent and Family Health. The same article by Mona Charen, headlined "You won't read it in the papers", is also available online at Townhall.com.

Mona Charen is a syndicated columnist and political analyst living in the Washington, D.C. area. She launched her syndicated column in 1987 and it has become one of the fastest growing columns in the industry. It is featured in more than 200 papers, including the Boston Globe, the Baltimore Sun, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Atlanta Journal and Constitution and the Washington Times. She spent 6 years as a regular commentator on CNN's "Capital Gang" and "Capital Gang Sunday," and has served as a judge of the Pulitzer Prizes.

Major study release on Adolescent Abstinence
A press conference was held on Wednesday, April 27, 2005 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC for the announcement of a ground breaking independent study Ð "Can Abstinence Work? An Analysis of the Best Friends Program" authored by Robert Lerner, Ph.D. and published in the peer reviewed journal Adolescent & Family Health. The study concerns the effectiveness of teaching adolescent girls in the Best Friends program to reject negative social behavior compared to a sample of peer respondents. Elayne Bennett, President and Founder of Best Friends Foundation will present information. Joining Mrs. Bennett for remarks:

Robert Lerner, Ph.D., Study Author
John P. Walters, Director, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (invited)
Nina Rees, Assistant Deputy Secretary, Office of Innovation and Improvement,
Department of Education
J. Robert Flores, Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention,
Department of Justice
Harry Wilson, Associate Commissioner, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Department of Health and Human Services
Joe McIlhaney, M.D., President, Medical Institute

For details.

 

April 2, 2005

"Do You Remember When Rock Was Young?"
Annual event was held April 2, 2005.
The Best Friends Foundation gala raised over $600,000 for Best Friends and Best Men programs. Government leaders, celebrities and distinguished guests danced to Little Anthony & the Imperials, The Chiffons, Bobby Vee & the Vees and Al Wilson at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC. More than $100,000 was raised in the live auction when two cars were auctioned off. Committee volunteers and foundation staff produced an exciting and successful event once again. Our heart-felt thanks goes to everyone involved.

Proceeds from this annual event are the primary source of funds for the Foundation's elementary and middle school Best Friends and Best Men programs and the high school Diamond Girls Leadership and Best Men Leadership programs.

See Out and About "Best Friends: A Beacon of Hop" in the Washington Post and "Best Friends Foundation Gala" in Washington Life magazine.

APRIL 23, 2004

Elayne Bennett, David Robinson Recipients of 2004 Simon Foundation Prizes
New York, NY – The fourth annual William E. Simon awards will honor two individuals –
Elayne Bennett and David Robinson – whose work and philanthropic efforts focus on meeting the educational and character building needs of young people. The prizes will be presented at a luncheon on April 23rd at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City.

The Prize for Social Entrepreneurship, along with a cash award of $250,000, is being presented to Ms. Bennett, who is founder and president of the Best Friends Foundation located in Washington, D.C. She is widely respected for development of in-school programs that not only help adolescents understand the risks of, but abstain from, drugs, sex and alcohol use.

First offered in 1987 to a class of sixth-grade girls in Washington, D. C., the Best Friends program today is conducted in more than 100 schools in 26 cities and in 15 states, as well as in Washington, D. C. and the Virgin Islands. In 2000, the work was expanded to include boys, who since then have been taking part in Best Men mentoring programs in five cities. On average, the Foundation serves approximately 5,000 girls and 1,000 boys and has generated impressive results.

Research has shown that compared to their peers, among Best Men boys, drug use was 33 percent lower and sexual activity declined 20 percent. Among Best Friend girls, alcohol use declined 30 percent, and 40 percent of program participants stopped using drugs altogether.

David Robinson, two-time NBA World Champion, is receiving the Prize in Philanthropic Leadership. Famous for his achievements with the San Antonio Spurs, Mr. Robinson is being honored for his many contributions to his community. The recognition includes a gift of $250,000 to the charity of his choice.

In 1992, David and his wife, Valerie, created the David Robinson Foundation to benefit community programs that meet the physical and spiritual needs of families primarily in their adopted hometown of San Antonio. Considered the single largest gift made by a professional athlete, the Robinsons donated more than $9 million to create The Carver Academy in downtown San Antonio. The project opened in 2001 and benefits many low-income, at-risk students. The school offers elementary-age children a challenging academic program featuring small classes, leadership opportunities and a nurturing family-like environment based on Judeo-Christian scripture. Named for African-American botanist and educator George Washington Carver, Robinson's hope for the school is that Carver graduates return and reinvest in the community. For more information, visit www.thecarveracademy.org.

The Simon Prizes were inaugurated in 2001, as part of the Foundation's efforts to further the legacy of its namesake, who was Secretary of the U.S. Treasury from 1974 to 1977. William E. Simon, Jr. says that the Simon Prizes underscore an important aspect of his late father's life. "My father firmly believed that one person could make a profound difference in the lives of others, and through this prize program – which he hoped to make a kind of Nobel Prize in philanthropy and entreprenurship – he wanted to inspire others to create and support programs that help people to help themselves."