The Community Place- Media Room

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (June 11, 2005) – Today the 11th Annual Rochester Step-Off, sponsored by the Rochester Step-Off Educational Foundation in conjunction with The Community Place of Greater Rochester (CPGR) and Quad A for Kids, will be held at the Blue Cross Arena. The competition, which is expected to draw over 8,000 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 roughly 600 participants in the Step-Off Program in the Rochester area.

“This event celebrates the hard work students put in to their academics and a venue to showcase their talents in the art of stepping,” said Patricia Mason, director, Step-Off Program. “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, which starts at 12:00 p.m., will feature a step routine by each participating team. It will also 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 $162,500.

Other awards that will be given out include: The Top Step Award, given to participants who have exhibited leadership capabilities and high academic achievement; the Step Up Award, given to participants who have exhibited the greatest academic improvement over the course of the program year; and the Outstanding Program Award, which is given to a team based on how well they have met the overall mission of the Rochester Step-Off Educational Foundation, including the most outstanding performance in the following areas: Academic Achievement, Community Service, Community Partnership, Physical Conditioning, Cultural Enhancement, and participation in the annual event.

Tickets for the event are $10 ($15 the day of the show). Tickets can be purchased at the following locations: Quickpix Photography , 561 S. Clinton Ave; Mad Flavor Clothing , 185 Lyell Ave.; all CPGR locations ( 145 Parsells Ave., 57 Central Park, and 500 Carter St.) ; all Kaufman’s and TicketMaster locations; the Blue Cross Arena Box Office; and at all participating schools. The day of the event, tickets can only be purchased at the Quickpix Photography and Mad Flavor Clothing locations.

The Rochester Step-Off Educational Foundation, Inc. was formed in 1994. The ongoing mission of the foundation is 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 over $162,500 has been awarded to Rochester’s youth, and every year more than 600 students and hundreds of volunteers participate in the program.

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, and Quad A for Kids, a volunteer fundraising organization dedicated to reducing juvenile social problems and improving the life prospects of economically disadvantaged children in Rochester.