FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 6, 2005

Media Contact:
Rhonda Carpenter
Corporate Communications Specialist
727-461-2990
rhondac@eckerd.org

Cannon Foundation Donates to Help EYA's Youth in North Carolina

CLEARWATER, Fla. —The Cannon Foundation has awarded funding of $25,000 to Eckerd Youth Alternatives' (EYA) Camp E-Ku-Sumee, located in Candor, N.C.

EYA is a leading private, not-for-profit organization serving at-risk and troubled youth through a range of 40 residential and community-based programs in eight states. 

The grant will be used for building renovations and repairs at the outdoor treatment program, and directly help provide improved services to youth.

"We are delighted with the support our treatment programs have received from The Cannon Foundation," said Karen V. Waddell, EYA's president and CEO. "Through this generous gift, we can continue to help North Carolina's children, giving each youth an opportunity to succeed."

Each year, E-Ku-Sumee serves more than 120 emotionally and behaviorally troubled boys and girls ages 10-17. The program is one of seven year-round, residential outdoor programs in North Carolina and one of 18 organization-wide.

The late Charles A. Cannon, president and chairman of the Cannon Mills Company for more than 50 years, established the Cannon Foundation, an independent foundation, in 1943. Mr. Cannon demonstrated his unwavering commitment to the people of Cabarrus County and the state of North Carolina through his philanthropy. The Cannon Foundation, Inc. is located in Concord, N.C.

About Camp E-Ku-Sumee
Founded in 1978 in the Uwharrie Forest of Montgomery County on approximately 650 acres, Camp E-Ku-Sumee serves 10- to 17-year-old boys and girls. The program is a comprehensive residential program that integrates group and individual therapy, wilderness adventure programs, communication-building skills, and a fully accredited educational component. The program is one of seven programs in North Carolina and one of 40 organization-wide operated by Eckerd Youth Alternatives, Inc. E-Ku-Sumee means "Their Ambition" in the Muskokee Native American language.

About Eckerd Youth Alternatives
Eckerd Youth Alternatives (EYA) is one of the nation's leading providers of services for at-risk and troubled youth. As a private not-for-profit organization, EYA serves more than 9,000 youth each year. Since 1968, more than 69,000 young people have been helped through a range of 40 residential and community-based programs: outdoor therapeutic treatment, juvenile justice, ReEntry programs, and youth foster care, and early intervention and prevention services. Headquartered in Clearwater, Fla., Eckerd Youth Alternatives has 1,400 caring employees and provides youth programs in eight states: Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio, Vermont, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. To learn more, call 727-461-2990 or visit our Web site at www.eckerd.org.