Karima Sultana Uddin (Wayne State University), Patricia Fieds (University of Michigan),
Arnetia Vaughn-Scott (Grand Valley State/Ford Motor Company Fund Recipient) &
Luis Lomeli (Michigan State)

Scholarship Committee: Marion Christian & Leah Hamood (Laveta Browne not pictured)

Los Angeles, California (CNN) — Large and small donations flowed in Monday evening as dozens of celebrities answered phones for Larry King’s telethon to help the people of the U.S. Gulf Coast suffering from the oil disaster.

“A hundred dollars? Wow! Thanks you so much,” rocker Tyson Ritter told one donor who called in.

The two-hour CNN show raised $1.3 million with proceeds going to three charities deeply involved in the efforts to help humans, wildlife and the environment.

“Everyone’s really pissed off,” actress Jenny McCarthy, who was monitoring online messages in the telethon’s “Tweet Suite,” told host Ryan Seacrest.

Donors could choose to send their money to the United Way, National Wildlife Fund or The Nature Conservancy.

Celebrity journalist Giuliana Rancic said she was on the phone with “Barbara” from Kokomo, Indiana.

“She’s saying it’s the animals,” Rancic said.

Actress Victoria Principal sat next to her on another call.

“We’re just talking about the wildlife,” Principal said.

Singer Aaron Neville, a New Orleans native, said most of the calls he answered in New York were from people concerned about animals impacted by the oil.

“People are crying on the phone and giving money,” Neville said.

Actor Ted Danson said it was important for him to “hear people’s emotions, their fear and sadness” when they called in donations,

CNN correspondents reported live from the Gulf Coast, interviewing people whose lives have been interrupted by the oil disaster.

“The toughest thing I see is losing a way of life that we’ve had down here for generations and generations,” said shrimper Archie Dantin in Pointe a la Hache, Louisiana.

A BP spokesman issued a statement Monday saying the oil company is “proceeding with urgency to make the situation right for the environment and for those who have affected by this tragic event.”

“We stated from the beginning that we accept responsibility for cleaning up the spill and for paying all legitimate claims for those directly impacted financially by this environmental disaster,” BP’s statement said.

The company said over 65,000 claims have been submitted and more than 32,000 payments have been made, totaling more than $107 million.

“The average time from filing a claim to checks being issued is only a few days,” BP siad. “Even for more complex business claims that have provided supporting documentation.”

“I don’t think they’re responding fast enough,” shrimper Keillen Williams said.

Retired NBA star Jalen Rose, who was helping answered phones at CNN’s Los Angeles bureau, said he is sure President Barack Obama will make BP pay.

“But it will take time for that to happen, so we’re here today to provide immediate relief to those in need,” Rose said.

ESPN Analyst and Detroit Native Assists Four Local Seniors In Achieving Their College Dreams

Detroit, Michigan – For the eighth consecutive year, NBA veteran Jalen Rose awarded Detroit high school seniors college scholarships through his foundation. Awards were made to students to begin their college education in the fall of 2010. Rose, who attended Detroit Southwestern High School, annually awards college scholarships in his hometown with a minimum of one scholarship to his alma mater.

A committee consisting of Rose, representatives of his Foundation and the Detroit Community selected the scholarship recipients from a large number of applicants.  Entries were based on academic achievement, extracurricular/community activities, goals and financial need.

The 2010 winners of a $10,000 college scholarship are:

Arnetia Vaughn-Scott (Detroit School of the Arts) *Presented by Ford Motor Company Fund
Attending Grand Valley State University

Karima Sultana Uddin (Detroit International Academy)
Attending Wayne State University

Luis Lomeli (Southwestern High School)
Attending Michigan State University

In addition to the annual high school scholarships Rose, a former member of the University of Michigan’s Fab Five basketball team, previously made a gift of $240,000 to the University to endow a four-year scholarship for an incoming freshman.  Established in 2004, The Jalen Rose Endowed Scholarship is awarded based on both merit and financial need to a first-year student with special consideration for students who come from the state of Michigan and either reside in an inner-city area, or are a member of an underrepresented group. The 2010 recipient is Patricia Fields from Crockett Technical High School.

In 2005, Rose earned a Bachelor of Science in Management Studies from the University of Maryland University College.  The graduate said, “I left the University of Michigan after my junior year to enter the NBA Draft but never lost sight of the value of a college degree. I believe everyone deserves the opportunity to further their education, and through this program, more Detroit students will join me in achieving that goal.”

Ford Motor Company Fund
Through active involvement, Ford Motor Company Fund & Community Services seeks to build relationships with organizations that have a well-defined sense of purpose, a demonstrated commitment to maximizing available resources and a reputation for meeting objectives and delivering high-quality programs and services. Ford Motor Company Fund & Community Services places priority on supporting organizations that promote diversity and inclusion.

About the Jalen Rose Charitable Fund
The Jalen Rose Foundation was established by ESPN Analyst/13-year NBA Veteran Jalen Rose to create life-changing opportunities for underserved youth through the development of unique programs and the distribution of grants to qualified nonprofit organizations. Grants focus on education and sports and are distributed in Jalen’s hometown of Detroit as well as other communities in need. More than $1.2 million in charitable donations have been distributed since the foundation’s 2000 inception. In 2010, the Jalen Rose Foundation became the Jalen Rose Charitable Fund in preparation for making a bigger impact in the Detroit Community. For more information visit www.jalenrose.com.

May 20, 2010 - It could use a little color, was the sentiment conveyed to educational technician Windell Hall in an e-mail back in January 2009 by an executive assistant to Jalen Rose.

Former professional basketball player turned sports commentator Jalen Rose, a graduate of Southwestern High School, came to that conclusion after doing an interview in the Jalen Rose Resource Lab for BET News this past summer. That avalanched into an enormous effort by Jalen Rose Charitable Fund, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor’s Greek Life Society, muralist Chazz Miller, Southwestern alumni and current students at Southwestern High School to bring color to the room.

Miller, famous for numerous murals done with the Motor City Blight-Busters, came up with the concept. Miller loved the help all the volunteers gave painting the 10-foot Prospector and 12- by-24-foot mural.

“A new mural depicting a Prospector on the golden road of knowledge caring a sack of education is now a beautiful focal point in the computer lab,” said Hall.

The stark white walls of Room 120 were transformed into bright and colorful artistry.

Said senior Angelica Vinales: “I think it’s nice and it’s different.”

Click here for more information or to download an application

* Special thanks to the Ford Motor Company Fund who made a generous $10,000 contribution to present one of the 2010 scholarships to a student from a Detroit Public School.
* We would also like to give a special thanks to the University of Michigan Greek Life family for their program support.

CHALLENGE:
Create an innovative school-based mentoring program for the 2010-11 school year. The program should match high school Freshmen/Sophomores with Juniors/Seniors. The winning proposal must address the following:
a.  How will your mentoring program operate?
b.  What will make it successful?
c.  How will the grant be used for the mentoring program if your school wins? (include a budget)
d.  How will the program be supported after the grant runs out?

PRIZE:
The winning school will receive a $7,500 grant and a Back to School Empowerment Seminar hosted by Jalen Rose in September 2010.

ELIGIBILITY:
Submissions will be accepted from any Detroit Public High School and can come from students, teachers, administrators or be a collaboration. Be as detailed as possible but submission should be no more than five pages. Grant recipient will be required to submit a project evaluation at the conclusion of the 2010-11 school year.

DEADLINE:
All entries must be submitted via email or fax no later than April 30, 2010.

SELECTION:
The winning school will be selected by a committee consisting of representatives of The Jalen Rose Charitable Fund and appointed members of the Ford Motor Company Fund. Decisions will be made based on creativity and likelihood of program success. The winner will be announced in May.

Please include the following information with your proposal:
1. School Name & Address
2. Contact information of the person responsible for overseeing the program
3. Who Created the Mentoring Program (include names of all involved)

For further information or to submit your proposal, please contact:
The Jalen Rose Charitable Fund
Email: CharitableFund@JalenRose.com
Phone/Fax: (800) 975-0001

By

Most athletes talk about giving back to their community.  Unfortunately, many of them never get past the talking stage.

Put Jalen Rose in the group that has followed through on his promise.

The Detroit native and former University of Michigan and NBA basketball star founded The Jalen Rose Foundation in 2000, and has given away more than $1.2-million since then.  Among those receiving funds through Rose are 35 Detroit students who were given college scholarships.

In a recent conversation, Rose told me why giving back to these local kids is so important to him, “I’m a product of the Detroit public school system.  It hurts me when we’re closing 30 schools, and we’re possibly declaring bankruptcy.  It’s something I really take personally.  I understand our youth entering ninth grade are among the lowest rate in country to make it to graduation.  I’m trying to help influence those numbers in a positive way.”

In a press release announcing this year’s scholarship guidelines, Rose says his connection with these kids goes far belong the money, “We make sure to stay in constant contact with the students who have received these scholarships throughout their four year experience.  The goal of the program is not only to get kids to college, but to get them to earn a degree.  I feel a sense of pride each time one graduates.”

The Foundation was recently renamed the Jalen Rose Charitable Fund, and will award $10,000 scholarships to three or more Detroit high school seniors this year.  At least one of them will come from Rose’s alma mater — Detroit Southwestern High School.

Recipients will be chosen based on academic achievement, extracurricular/ community activities and financial need.  The details about scholarship eligibility can be found on Jalen Rose’s website.

In a world where we hear about every bad thing athletes do, I’m happy to pass along some details about one of our own who is making a real difference out there.

Many athletes say they want to make the world a better place.  Jalen Rose is putting his money where his mouth is.

Follow The Ottoman Empire Blog on Facebook and Twitter

While at the high school, students from UM Greek Life collaborated with Southwestern students to paint a mural in the Jalen Rose Computer Lab. The UM students also visited classrooms to speak about college life, assisted students with scholarship applications and judged the school’s “Making A Difference” poster contest.

The mural was designed by Southwestern Alumnus Chazz Miller. Chazz creates Murals throughout The Detroit Metro area that inspire hope in the hearts and minds of the community, with a commitment to educating and enhancing the understanding of all that the arts have to offer through his organization, Public Art Workz (P.A.W.Z.).

For more information on the organizations listed above, please visit:
Public Art Workz
UM Greek Week

Rose says, “I’m a product of the old saying ‘It takes a village to raise a child.’  My Mom is like my rock, and my Grandma as well.  I had a strong family situation even though I grew up and never met my biological dad.  I can’t thank enough people who were a part of the village that helped raise me.” 

Rose says his most influential mentors include former University of Detroit basketball coach Perry Watson and Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, and they instilled in him a desire to make a better life for his family.

“I was thinking ‘What’s going to make me special?’  Rose says. “I was lucky enough to have basketball as my driving force, but if that didn’t happen, I knew I had to have something to fall back on.  So I was always a good student – an honor roll student in high school, I made the Dean’s List at University of Michigan.  Education was always a priority, and something that you can’t take for granted.”

Rose took those lessons to heart, and when it was his turn to be a leader, he says he passed along what he had learned, “As a high school student, I was able to be a coach at some basketball camps.  I would teach kids drills, but also talk to them about life skills and academics.  Playing sports is what got me into giving back to others in the community. As I grew up and matured, it just naturally came from that,” he says.

That’s what led to the birth of The Jalen Rose Foundation in 2000.  Rose says the reason for the Foundation is simple, “Growing up on the west side, I know what it’s like to be a have-not.  But I also understand what it’s like to be a have-not without hope.  Those are two different things.  Basically we want to help to instill hope and let our neighbors know that we really care about them.”

Since it’s inception, the Jalen Rose Foundation has donated more than one million dollars, including 37 scholarships to kids from the city of Detroit.  All of them are amazing people, Rose says. “They come from situations where they have to take care of their younger brothers and sisters because they live in households without any parents.  And after school they do charity and community work, and STILL get straight A’s and have perfect attendance.  These are heroic stories.”

Though he doesn’t do it for the accolades, Rose has been recognized for his philanthropy.  He recently received the Community Champion Award from Black Enterprise, and was featured on their Top Foundation list.  It was quite a thrill according to Rose, “This little skinny kid from Detroit’s West Side was listed next to Oprah Winfrey, Bob Johnson, Magic Johnson – these are moguls.  That meant a lot to me, but also inspired me to want to work harder and do more and really make an influence and an impact.”

Rose has achieved many amazing accomplishments in his life, but he says the thrills he had playing basketball cannot compare to the feeling he gets when he hands a scholarship to a deserving Detroiter.  “On the court it makes me feel like Jalen Rose – a guy who is a basketball player who had a great NBA career.  To give back to a kid makes me feel like I’m Michael Jordan, I’m Magic Johnson, I’m Muhammad Ali.  It’s bigger than a game. It’s bigger than the sport.  To be able to give a kid a nudge and a little support – it means the world to me.” ~Rob Otto

Page 24
To view this magazine online, visit: http://www.ambassadormag.com

That’s why we love Jalen Rose and Bobby Jackson! They are two JUST People who were raised with “giving back” as a family value and are now dedicating their lives to helping kids.

JALEN ROSE made a name for himself in the NBA, as a leading scorer and driving force behind the success of several NBA teams. However, it wasn’t until he retired that we really fell for him. Check out these stats:
*Jalen Rose Foundation named one of Top 26 Sports Foundation, Overtime Magazine, Summer 2006
*Jalen Rose names by Black Enterprise in 2005 as a Leader in Philanthropy
*Community MVP for Toronto Raptors April 2004
*The Professional Basketball Writers Association presented the annual Magic Johnson Award to Jalen Rose in 2003
*NBA Community Assist Award Presented to Jalen Rose 2003

Yeah, he can score on the court, but he really scores at creating community support for the causes that matter to him.

“Philanthropy starts in the heart, its not something that comes with status or money or career choices,” Jalen explained to us. “Ultimately, it’s the opportunity to touch other people in a positive way. That’s my sole goal and purpose – to give inspiration to people who may feel hopeless.”

Ultimately, he thinks that education can provide both the hope and the foundation for a future, so the Jalen Rose Foundation provides college scholarships to high-school seniors from Detroit, his home town.

“Education is the key to life,” he believes. “You have to compete with so many people, you can’t do that with just a high school diploma. You need to go to the next level to have those limitless possibilities.”

But to Jalen, it’s about more than the money and scholarships, it’s about decency and compassion.

“I want people to understand that giving is not just about money, its helping an old lady across the street, being kind, having manners. It’s humility, it’s humanitarian, and it trickles down.”

SCORE! (We can all join his team – help us raise money to help him help kids!) Now you can help them!

For every gift that YOU buy in the Just Cause Store at WorldOfGood.com, JUST CAUSE gets $5. That may not sound like much to you, but it helps us raise the money we need to keep producing JUST CAUSE and allows us to make generous donations to the causes we support – like Jalen and Bobby.

Got it? YOU give a gift, WE give a future! (with more than 28,000 great gifts, we’re pretty certain that we can change lives, and make some happy holidays!)

To read this entire article, visit: http://www.zinio.com/reader.jsp?issue=416106963&o=ext