October 11, 2002

COUNTY EMPLOYEE RECEIVES MCAP ALLY AWARD

Charlotte, NC-The Mecklenburg Council on Adolescent Pregnancy (MCAP) has awarded its ALLY Award to Andy Fair, Project Coordinator for Mecklenburg County's "Protecting Kids…Everybody's Job" project.

The ALLY Award is given each year in recognition of individuals and organizations that partner with MCAP to help reduce the incidence of adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease. Fair received the award because of the partnership between MCAP and "Protecting Kids.Everybody's Job" to promote childhood safety at the annual Run for Youth Day held by MCAP in the Greenville Community. The Junior League of Charlotte and Florence Crittenden Services also received the award.

"Protecting Kids…Everybody's Job" is a multi-year, multi-organizational public information campaign to encourage people to take personal responsibility for the safety, health and well being of all children in Mecklenburg County.  The Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners started the project in April 2000 after reports from the Mecklenburg County Community Child Fatality Protection and Prevention Team indicating a need for more community awareness about how to eliminate preventable injuries and deaths among children.

MCAP is a private, not-for-profit organization established in 1980 by the March of Dimes, the PTA Council and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools. MCAP's mission is to be the catalyst that mobilizes the Charlotte Mecklenburg community to prevent adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.