President's Council on Service and Civic Participation and ServiceNation Join the Growing Effort to Observe 9/11 as a National Day of Charitable Service

MyGoodDeed.org, formed by friends and relatives of 9/11 victims to promote 9/11 as a day of service, continues to win influential support as the 7th anniversary of the terrorist attacks approaches

NEW YORK, Aug. 27 -- The grassroots initiative to transform 9/11 into an annually recognized national day of charitable service, which last week encouraged Senators John McCain and Barack Obama to observe a campaign moratorium this 9/11, continues to gain steam as America once again approaches the anniversary of the terrorist attacks. MyGoodDeed.org, the nonprofit founded in 2003 by friends and relatives of 9/11 victims, announced that it has picked up two important allies this year -- newly formed ServiceNation, a powerful coalition of more than 600 nonprofit groups from around the country which will host the two presidential candidates in a forum on civic engagement on September 11 in New York, and the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation. MyGoodDeed.org (http://www.mygooddeed.org/) already is actively supported by numerous prominent officials, corporations and leading nonprofits, including U.S. Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Charles Schumer, U.S. Representative Peter King, actor Gary Sinise, Habitat for Humanity, American Red Cross, Citizen Corps, Youth Service America and Points of Light & Hands on Network. The group is also supported by all of the major 9/11 family and support organizations.

"The anniversary of September 11 should be officially recognized as a national day of charitable service to honor the 9/11 victims, volunteers and rescue and recovery workers of Ground Zero," said David Paine, president of MyGoodDeed.org. "All of us can best honor the memory of those lost by engaging in good deeds, community service and other charitable acts to rekindle the remarkable spirit of unity that existed following the 9/11 tragedy."

Both ServiceNation and the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation have said they plan to participate this year in 9/11 service projects organized by MyGoodDeed.org, along with the organization's partner New York Cares. New York Cares enables nearly 40,000 New Yorkers each year to serve on hands-on volunteer projects benefiting schools, social service agencies, homeless shelters, and other deserving organizations.

The President's Council on Service and Civic Participation said that a number of its members, many of whom are celebrities and prominent public figures, are expected to attend MyGoodDeed.org's service project on September 11 at PS 124, a public elementary school in the Chinatown community in downtown Manhattan.

The 25-member Council, created by Executive Order of the President of the United States in 2003, includes actors Stephen Baldwin, Patricia Heaton and Hillary Duff; NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne; Art Linkletter; journalist Cokie Roberts; and other prominent individuals. The Council was established to recognize the important contributions Americans of all ages are making within their communities through service and civic engagement.

Shannon Maynard, executive director, President's Council on Service and Civic Participation said, "MyGoodDeed is a great initiative with a powerful mission. Along with the members of the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation, I am looking forward to serving with other volunteers on September 11th in honor of all of the individuals who lost their lives on 9/11, and to show the giving spirit of America that shined so bright in the days following the attacks."

PS 124 is located at 40 Division Street in Manhattan, with volunteer activities beginning at 11 a.m. and ending at 2 p.m. For more information, contact info at MyGoodDeed.org.

Earlier this month, ServiceNation announced plans to hold a major summit meeting on national service in New York City on September 11-12, expected to be attended by more than 500 influential delegates from throughout the nonprofit community. Caroline Kennedy and Alma Powell are co-chairing the event, and organizers have already confirmed the participation of U.S. Senators Barack Obama and John McCain, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and other nationally prominent figures.

Many of these delegates are also expected to attend MyGoodDeed.org service activities on 9/11.

MyGoodDeed recently won the support of both Presidential candidates, who agreed to honor MyGoodDeed.org's request that they suspend campaigning and negative advertising on the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks this year, and instead engage in voluntary service.

Millions Inspired to Observe 9/11 Through Service

Each year since the 9/11 attacks, the MyGoodDeed.org movement has grown to inspire millions of people from around the nation and world to perform good deeds, volunteer and engage in other charitable and civic activities on the anniversary of the attacks, in honor of the victims, volunteers and rescue and recovery workers. In 2007, more than 300,000 good deeds were posted on the MyGoodDeed.org Website (http://www.mygooddeed.org/), by participants from all 50 U.S. states and 150 different countries and territories. A Yahoo feature story about the organization that appeared on 9/11 in 2007 generated more than 500,000 clicks in just six hours.

Founded in 2003 by two close friends, David Paine and Jay Winuk, following the death of Jay's brother, attorney and volunteer firefighter Glenn Winuk, who perished in the line of duty on September 11, 2001, MyGoodDeed.org has gained widespread bipartisan and bicameral support. In 2004, the MyGoodDeed organization worked closely with Congressional leaders to secure unanimous passage of H. Con. Res. 473, urging the designation of 9/11 as a national day of service, charity and compassion.

In 2007, for the first time, President George Bush included specific references to volunteerism in his annual Proclamation in recognition of 9/11.

Organizations providing financial support this year to MyGoodDeed.org include American Express, Ambac Corporation, Keefe Bruyette and Woods, AOL, Google and Yahoo. For more information, visit http://www.mygooddeed.org/.

   Contact:  Susan Roth
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             prsue at rothpr.com