I know I have been on Michael’s case for not being in the urban headlines for a while but this I have to give him credit for. Smart move and a great time to let the industry know he’s still alive in radio. Greetings to Citadel Media.
National Radio Show Host Takes Message to the Road with 72-City Bus Tour –
Commits up to $350,000 in Matching Funds
For Mentoring Programs
Nationally acclaimed radio personality Michael Baisden has created a campaign to encourage one million Americans to sign up as mentors for children in need through a national outreach effort. The One Million Mentors Campaign to Save Our Kids will launch with its first event in Dallas on Feb. 17 and hit the road to visit 72 cities in a campaign-themed bus. At each tour stop along the way, Baisden will host mentoring forums in partnership with local mentoring organizations and affiliates of Big Brothers Big Sisters, National CARES Mentoring Movement and 100 Black Men.
“The video taped beating of Chicago teen Derrion Albert was truly the final straw for me, said Baisden. “After seeing it broadcast repeatedly on national news I knew I needed to step up and get involved personally in the effort to save our kids. My hope is that by touring across the country, this national mentoring campaign will have an impact on some of these young people who need caring adults involved in their lives.”
With more than 14 million young people in need of a mentor (source: mentoring.org), the tour will visit a total of 72 markets including New Orleans, Nashville, Miami, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Saint Louis, Chicago and Washington, DC. At each event, participants will have the opportunity to hear firsthand accounts as local mentors share their personal success stories of working with children in their community. Representatives from local mentoring programs will be available to register qualified adults for training and ultimately match them with area children on waiting lists for mentors.
In addition to driving registration for new mentors, Baisden will also be raising funding for mentoring programs across the tour markets by matching contributions from participants up to $350,000. The Michael Baisden Foundation, which is dedicated to providing educational support in communities, will then direct the funds toward local mentoring programs.
The Michael Baisden Show is a four-hour afternoon radio program airing Monday – Friday from 3-7 p.m. ET. Hosted by New York Times best-selling author Michael
Baisden, the entertaining show combines the best in music, comedy and social commentary to inspire real change across America. It is heard in 22 of the top 25 Urban radio markets, reaches more than 4.6 million listeners each week, airs on more than 70 affiliates and is syndicated by Citadel Media.
