Mother & Child Health Coalition Press Release Contact: Anne Biswell (816) 283-6242 ext. 226 www.mchc.net FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 25, 2012 Joining Forces to Raise HIV/AIDS Awareness BET’s “Rap It Up” Campaign comes to Kansas City Kansas City, MO – Dr. Jean Craig, director of Kansas City Healthy Start, a program of Mother & Child Health Coalition, was proud to join with Hope Academy Charter School in hosting BET’s (Black Entertainment Television’s) “Rap-It-Up” event on Thursday, September 20. The program, held at the historic Gem Theater in the 18th & Vine District, helped to enlighten an enthusiastic group of students from Hope Academy on HIV/AIDS awareness by use of a celebrity discussion panel. The panel included comedian Joe Clair, HIV/AIDS activist and writer Denise Stokes, Rapper T’Juan, recording artist Sammie, BET’s “2009 Sunday Best” winner, Y’Anna Crawley, Dr. Jeri Dyson, Dr. Chanda Graves and Samantha Hughes from the Kansas City Health Department. Panelists shared their expertise on HIV/AIDS as well as their perspective and personal stories from their own lives. The students had the opportunity to ask questions and express their concerns regarding HIV/AIDS, and then were treated with a surprise performance by T’Juan. BET has enlisted T’Juan’s services to travel with the BET Rap-It-Up team, spreading the message that the HIV/AIDS epidemic needs to be “wrapped up.” T’Juan’s song about HIV, “I Wish I Could Save Every Girl,” has touched the crowds and caused them to be more aware of the necessity to protect themselves against HIV and AIDS. T’Juan has had the privilege of opening for Plies, T-Pain, Lil Wayne, Lil Boosie, Rick Ross, and Bow Wow. He has also shared the stage with other dynamic lyricists such as G.R.I.T.S., and Da Truth. Mother & Child Health Coalition believes that every child deserves a healthy start. MCHC promotes the health of mothers and children through community planning, education, advocacy and collaboration with organizations addressing infant mortality, immunization, childhood obesity, maternal health and child safety. Kansas City Healthy Start is a bi-state, home visitation program that seeks to improve the health of pregnant women and babies, and to decrease infant mortality and ethnic disparities in the Kansas City metro area. It offers outreach, care coordination, depression screening, and health education. Contacts: Jean Craig, PhD, director, Kansas City Healthy Start (816) 283-6242 x 225 [email protected] Susan McLoughlin, MSN, RN, CPNP, director, Mother & Child Health Coalition (816) 283-6242 x 253 [email protected] Frieda Tresvan, MCHC director of education and health promotion (816) 283-6242 x 251 [email protected] Interviews are available upon request. Next 2 pages: photos From left to right: Wil Dowdell, Zachary Bassin, Vonnelle Middleton, Denise Stokes, Dr. Jean Craig, Dr. Chanda Graves, Y’Anna Crawley, Sammie, Dr. Jeri Dyson, Vikkie Johnson, Joe Clair, and Alvin Brooks. Above: Hope Academy students listen as the BET’s Rap-it-Up panelists share information about HIV-AIDS prevention. Above: The historic Gem Theater in the 18th & Vine District was the site of BETs Rap-it-Up event for students of Hope Academy on Thursday, September 20. The event was co-sponsored by Kansas City Healthy Start, a program of Mother & Child Health Coalition. www.mchc.net ###