UrbanPromise International announced today that John Sample, a television and event producer with the NBA, has recently reached a milestone of walking 1 million steps to raise money and awareness for UrbanPromise children of Camden and across the world.
"UrbanPromise lives and breathes because of people like John Sample,” said Dr. Bruce Main, founder and president of UrbanPromise Ministries. “Without his vision, enthusiasm, commitment, and passion, the impact of our programs--for our country's most vulnerable children--would be greatly diminished."
Sample was inspired to fundraise for UrbanPromise after seeing a 20/20 special with Diane Sawyer, in which UrbanPromise was highlighted as a ray of hope in Camden, NJ, a city with one of the highest crime and poverty rates in the country. For 25 years, UrbanPromise has been equipping at-risk children in Camden with the skills necessary for academic achievement, life management, spiritual growth, and leadership.
Sample began walking in August of 2012, averaging roughly 12,000 steps a day, and he has walked in the U.S., Canada, England, Germany, Belgium, Italy, and China. He reached his 1 millionth step at the Ramapo Reservation, Sample’s favorite place to walk. Over the next two years he plans on walking a total of 5 million steps, promoting his efforts with social media, including his website www.5millionsteps.org.
“When I hear that donations are coming in for UrbanPromise, it really keeps me motivated,” says Sample, who does most of his walking near his home in northern New Jersey. “Also, all the kind words that I get from friends and family inspire me to get going every day.”
For more information please contact:
Lisi Klus, UrbanPromise International
(732) 261-6982 or lklus@urbanpromiseusa.org
Shannon Oberg, Creative Director
(609) 876-9958 or soberg@urbanpromiseusa.org
About UrbanPromise:
UrbanPromise is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing children and youth with the supports that they need to succeed academically, grow spiritually, and prepare for leadership that will bring positive change to their own communities. This is accomplished through after-school programs, summer camps, job training, experiential learning, and a host of other enrichment activities. UrbanPromise sites exist in Camden, NJ; Wilmington, DE; Trenton, NJ; Miami, FL; Vancouver, BC; Toronto, ON; Copán, Honduras; Mukono, Uganda; and six locations in Malawi. To learn more, please visit www.urbanpromiseusa.org and www.urbanpromiseinternational.org