The Community Place- Media Room

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (June 7, 2007)- The 13 th Annual Rochester Step-Off, presented by Cricket Communications and sponsored by the Rochester Step-Off Educational Foundation, Inc. (RSO) in conjunction with The Community Place of Greater Rochester (CPGR) and the Arts and Cultural Council for Greater Rochester, will be held at the Blue Cross Arena on June 9 th at 12:00 p.m.

The competition, which is expected to draw between 5,000 and 7,000 spectators, is the culminating event for participants in the Rochester Step-Off Program, an academic- and character-development program for youth that centers on the African-American art of step. The event will feature 250 participants from 14 Rochester area schools. In total, there are approximately 400 participants in the Step-Off program in the Rochester area.

“Our students are very excited for this opportunity to showcase their talents in the art of stepping and the hard work they put into their academics,” said Patricia Mason, director, RSO. “This is a family event, and we hope that the community will come celebrate our youth and all that they have accomplished by participating in the Step-Off program.”

The event will feature a step routine by each participating team and will showcase the academic achievements of the participants, an integral focus of the Step-Off program. Roughly $12,500 in scholarship money will be presented to graduating seniors who participated in the program and will be attending an institute of higher education, bringing the total amount in scholarship money handed out by the Rochester Step-Off Educational Foundation since its inception to $187,500. Other awards for academic achievement, community service, and cultural enhancement will also be given out.

Tickets for the event are $10 ($15 after June 4 th) and can be purchased at the following locations: Mad Flavor Clothing , 185 Lyell Ave.; all TicketMaster locations; the Blue Cross Arena Box Office; and at all participating schools.

The Rochester Step-Off Educational Foundation, Inc. was formed in 1994 to reduce barriers that impede success in high school and encourage the pursuit of a college education by creating opportunities for self-development and cultural enhancement, developing partnerships with community agencies, and placing a strong emphasis on academic improvement, public service, and physical conditioning. Rochester Step-Off is a distinctive program with a proven record of success: to date more than $175,00 has been awarded to Rochester’s youth, and every year more than 600 students and hundreds of volunteers participate in the program. On the web at www.rochesterstepoff.org.

The event is also sponsored by The Community Place of Greater Rochester, a nonprofit human services agency that provides a variety of programs and services to individuals, families, children, seniors, and the developmentally disabled living in the Rochester area . On the web at www.communityplace.org.