Actor, comedian turned media mogul and philanthropist—Steve Harvey—takes
on another exciting role by joining the Coca-Cola Pay It Forward
Program. His strong commitment to mentoring is a great complement to the
movement that uncaps a world of possibilities for the next generation.
Steve Harvey partners with the Coca-Cola Pay It Forward program to offer an apprenticeship experience to two well-deserving youth. (Photo: Business Wire)
Marking year three, the Coca-Cola Pay It Forward program will offer
once-in-a-lifetime apprenticeship experiences to African American youth
looking to pave the way for their futures. Under the umbrella of the
Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation, the talk show host and
best-selling author will offer two apprenticeship experiences. The
experiences will focus on the areas of philanthropy/community and
media/entertainment.
Partnering with the Coca-Cola Pay It Forward program builds on Harvey’s
long-term commitment to mentoring youth. For the past five years, the
Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation has hosted mentoring camps for
young African-American men. The camps promote educational enrichment,
one-on-one mentoring and global service initiatives. The program impacts
100 youth in five cities across the country.
“The Coca-Cola Pay It Forward program and the Steve and Marjorie Harvey
Foundation have a common goal. We want to improve, enrich, uplift and
inspire young people. At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all
about,” said Steve Harvey. “Working together, we can change far more
lives than we ever could imagine doing on our own.”
In the spirit of the Coca-Cola Pay It Forward program, this year’s
winners will be exposed to exclusive apprenticeship opportunities. They
will work with Harvey and his team on his radio shows, with his
entertainment company and the Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation’s
mentoring camps. Harvey joins an impressive list of influential African
American celebrities, industry leaders and media magnates who have
participated in the Coca-Cola Pay It Forward program.
“The Coca-Cola Pay It Forward program demonstrates our commitment to
education. Now in its third year, it provides an exciting way to bring
people and communities together to support our youth,” said Lauventria
Robinson, Vice President, Multicultural Marketing, Coca-Cola North
America. “Our partner this year, Steve Harvey, exemplifies how dreams
can come true with a vision, plan and a lot of hard work. Together we
will work to pay it forward and potentially change the lives of two
exceptional young people.”
Now through March 15, parents, relatives, friends and mentors may
nominate an aspiring young person for the Coca-Cola Pay It Forward
program by visiting www.coke.com/payitforward.
The program is open to teens and young adults between the ages of 16-21
(as of May 1, 2014). Nominators must be 16 years of age or older.
Eligible youth also may nominate themselves. Winners will be selected
and contacted near the end of April to participate in the five-day
summer apprenticeship. In addition, each winning student will be awarded
a $5,000 scholarship to assist with his or her pursuit of higher
education.
Ways to Pay It Forward
Once again, Coca-Cola invites African Americans nationwide to join the
Company and Harvey in its movement to pay it forward. The Company
suggests the following ways to help the next generation achieve their
education and career aspirations: nominating an eligible young person
for the Pay It Forward apprenticeship experience; becoming a mentor;
taking a teen to work; or donating to support an academic scholarship.
Share ways you are paying it forward and join the conversation on
Twitter, using the hashtag #CokePayItForward.
Coca-Cola Pay It Forward - Why Mentoring, with Steve Harvey
http://youtu.be/X38Oi2qVPy4
About The Coca-Cola Company
The
Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage
company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands.
Led by Coca-Cola, one of the world's most valuable and recognizable
brands, our Company's portfolio features 16 billion-dollar brands
including Diet
Coke, Fanta,
Sprite,
Coca-Cola
Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade,
Minute
Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del
Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages,
ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world's
largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200
countries enjoy our beverages
at a rate of more than 1.8 billion servings a day. With an enduring
commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused
on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy
living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our
associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities
where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the
world's top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system
associates. For more information, visit Coca-Cola
Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com,
follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo,
visit our blog, Coca-Cola
Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com
or find us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/the-coca-cola-company.
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