Urban Football Classic More Than Just A Game

Raymond McGuire, Head, Global Banking, Citi,

Arva R. Rice, President & C.E.O, New York Urban League, 

Marilyn F. Booker, Morgan Stanley, Managing  Director, Vice Chairperson for the New York Urban League, 

Quincy Dunlap,  Director of College Access, New York Urban League 

NEW YORK  – In 1971, with the help of George Steinbrenner the New York Urban League (NYUL) hosted its first Football Classic at Yankee Stadium.

The purpose of the game was to generate funds for NYUL’s Whitney M. Young, Jr. Scholarship Fund and create a signature event that the local community could support for a good cause.

Fast forward 40 years and the game has grown to become a sports spectacle attended each year by more than 40,000 attendees and has raised more than $20 million in scholarship funds.

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) tradition of Football Classics remains a popular rite of passage and sense of pride for both students and alumni. The New York Urban League’s Classic also represents an opportunity to support local college hopefuls in pursuit of their college dreams.

Each year, through their Whitney M. Young, Jr. Scholarship Fund the NYUL provides much needed funds to be used for tuition, textbooks, meals and living expenses. This year the NYUL received more than 240 applications - an indication that the financial need is there.

During the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Scholarship Fund Award ceremony 43 New York City students were awarded $131,500 in scholarships representing this year’s class of Whitney M. Young, Jr. scholars.

Students who have been awarded with these scholarships are headed off to prestigious universities including: Rochester Institute of Technology, West Point, Syracuse University, Dartmouth College, Howard University, and more. They plan to excel in careers in medicine, law, engineering, and other fields.

"The New York Urban League works to give all students access to quality education, and one of the most direct ways we do this is through our scholarship program,” stated Arva R. Rice, President and CEO of the NYUL. “It is extremely inspiring to see the potential in the 2011 Whitney M. Young, Jr. scholars. Each and every student here has the capacity to be a leader and to create positive change in our community.” Keynote speaker, Raymond McGuire, Head of Global Banking at Citi, encouraged the scholars to “do what you have to do, to do what you want to do. Ignore the odds and achieve your dreams”.

The scholars will reconvene to celebrate at the New York Urban League Football Classic on September 24, 2011 at the New Meadowlands Stadium. The students, along with 40,000 other NYUL supporters will watch Howard University take on Morgan State University. Proceeds from the Football Classic benefit the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Scholarship fund.