Columbia College tennis player Megan Brown, a rising senior, is among twelve students chosen to represent the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in a partnership with the American Red Cross. Now in its second year, the program is designed to inspire, motivate and create a new and diverse generation of Red Cross volunteers and leaders through exemplifying the five core values of the NAIA Champions of Character program.
 
As part of its support of the Red Cross diversity initiatives, State Farm Insurance is sponsoring this partnership. The leadership program kicks off with two weeks of energetic training at Red Cross National Headquarters located in Washington, D.C. from June 9 to June 20. The 2008-2009 class will participate in a rare and unique opportunity to acquire first-hand coaching, mentoring and professional leadership training presented by senior leadership at the Red Cross, one of the nation’s largest non-profit organizations.
 
This once-in-a-lifetime experience allows NAIA student-athletes to be part of a team made up of young adults from NAIA campuses throughout the country.  Student-athletes will learn from civic and business leaders in the field how to uncover their leadership potential off the field. The participants will learn about organizing successful campus blood drives, actively participate on a leadership board, and take part in diversity and cultural competency training. For their efforts, students will receive scholarship support provided by the American Red Cross and State Farm Insurance.  
 
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Last year, almost a million volunteers and 35,000 employees helped victims of almost 75,000 disasters; taught lifesaving skills to millions; and helped U.S. service members separated from their families stay connected. Almost 4 million people gave blood through the Red Cross, the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. The American Red Cross is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work. To learn more visit www.redcross.org .

About the NAIA
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is the governing body for athletics programs at its nearly 300 colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada. The long-held mission of the NAIA is to promote the education and development of well-rounded students and productive citizens through intercollegiate athletics. The Association offers equitable access and opportunities for participation in its 23 national championship events held annually throughout the country. NAIA Champions of Character is the association’s innovative flagship program designed to instill character values in student-athletes, coaches and youth in the communities it serves. To learn more visit www.NAIA.org .