February 17, 2005
| For Immediate Release: February 17, 2005 |
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FIRST LADY TO KICK-OFF EAST TENNESSEE PORTION OF ANDREAWALKS Since the launch of AndreaWalks in Memphis on September 8, 2004, Conte and more than 1,600 Tennesseans who joined her in communities throughout the state have walked through 19 cities in West and Middle Tennessee. Conte has walked more than 300 miles, visited 15 child advocacy centers, and has raised over $700,000 dollars to aid the 27 public organizations who support child victims of severe physical or sexual abuse. Conte ended the Middle and West Tennessee portions of the walk in November, and is kicking-off the East Tennessee portion of AndreaWalks starting at 9 a.m. EST at the Child Advocacy Center of Hamilton County located at 909 Vine Street in Chattanooga. From there, the First Lady and registered participants will walk an average of 10 to 15 miles per day for three days until they reach Ootlewah’s Way of the Cross Baptist Church. The walk will then resume on March 1 in Ootlewah as Conte makes her way to the 10th Judicial District Child Advocacy Center in Athens. The East Tennessee portion of AndreaWalks also includes walks through Lenoir City, Maryville, Knoxville, Oneida, LaFollette, Mosheim, Johnson City and then Bristol, where Conte and “AndreaWalkers” will walk to the Bristol Motor Speedway, where they’ll have a chance to walk, rather than race, around the Speedway. The walk will not end in Bristol, as event organizers originally planned. AndreaWalks will be partnering with Nashville’s own County Music Marathon™ & ½ Marathon on April 30 to raise additional funds for child advocacy. “AndreaWalkers” participating in this year’s Country Music Marathon & ½ Marathon will receive an invitation to the AndreaWalks post-marathon party and auction, and will receive free admission to the Phil Vassar concert that evening. “I’m so pleased the organizers of the Country Music Marathon & ½ Marathon have given AndreaWalks the opportunity to have its official end in Nashville,” Conte said. “It seems fitting that after AndreaWalks has covered the entire state of Tennessee, it should have its big finish and celebration in our state’s capital. The Country Music Marathon is a nationally regarded charity event, and AndreaWalks is privileged to have the opportunity to participate and raise the profile of the problem of child abuse in Tennessee.” “The Country Music Marathon & ½ Marathon is honored to have the AndreaWalks program culminate at our event on April 30,” said Adam Zocks, General Manager. “We have had a long relationship with The First Lady and we are extremely excited to have this opportunity to enhance the Country Music Marathon through her continued involvement.” Conte, an advocate for children’s rights issues, made supporting and sponsoring fundraising for Tennessee’s Child Advocacy Centers her first priority when she became First Lady in 2003. The centers offer a comprehensive approach to providing services for child victims of sexual or severe physical abuse and their families, fostering community partnerships among professionals in law enforcement, criminal justice, child and family counseling, and victim’s advocacy dedicated to pursuing the truth in child abuse investigations. “AndreaWalks for Tennessee’s Children” is a collaborative effort of the Office of the First Lady, Tennessee Chapter of Child Advocacy Centers, and You Have the Power…Know How to Use It, Inc. To learn more about AndreaWalks or to register for upcoming walks with the First Lady, visit www.AndreaWalks.com. The Country Music Marathon & ½ Marathon is produced by Elite Racing, Inc. The annual event attracts over 17,000 runners and 100,000 spectators and benefits The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, raising over $2.5 million annually. In addition, the race receives extensive national, regional and local media coverage and is taped to broadcast regionally on Comcast Sports Southeast and nationally on Fox Sports Net. To learn more about the Country Music Marathon & ½ Marathon, visit www.cmmarathon.com. ### NOTE TO MEDIA: See attached schedule of East Tennessee AndreaWalks dates and locations for publication, and visit www.AndreaWalks.com. to download individual walk routes.
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