Hundreds of Local Children To Rally In Support of Health Coverage

Youth to Participate in CDF Freedom Schools"
National Day of Social Action 

(NEW YORK, NY)- More than 300 children from Children's Defense Fund Freedom. School throughout New York City will hold a rally on July 11, 2008 at 9:30 a.m. at the "Triumph of the Human Spirit Monument" in Thomas Paine Park in downtown Manhattan. The children will then march to City Hall for a press conference at 11:00 a.m. to raise awareness of the need for comprehensive and affordable health coverage for all children. They will be joining thousands of other youth in 24 states and 61 cities around the country in a "National Day of Social Action."

Assembly Member Richard N. Gottfried, Chair of the Assembly Health Committee, will join the children to celebrate the recent expansion of New York's Child Health Plus. These children will be raising their voices in song and chant to call attention to the approximately 384,000 uninsured children in New York State and '9.4 million uninsured children in the United States. Through this effort, these young people aim to inform all New York families that their children are eligible for Child Health Plus.

Since 1995, the CDF Freedom Schools program has provided free summer and after-school reading and cultural enrichment programs for children across the country. This year, the program will serve nearly 9,000 children in more than 60 cities across the country. Seven of the program sites are in the New York region, serving 670 children. The CDF Freedom Schools National Day of Social Action is the program's civic engagement component that teaches youth to engage in community service and social justice advocacy. As part of this national effort, our local participants are joining thousands of other children around the country this day to draw attention to the need for health coverage for every child in America.

Who:                            Assembly Member Richard N. Gottfried, Chair of Assembly Health Committee

More than 300 children from:

                                    Children's Defense Fund - New York
                                    Brooklyn Congregations Together Freedom School
                                    Concord Community Development Corporation Freedom School
                                    Inwood House's Youth for RE.A.L. Freedom School
                                    St. Ann's Episcopal Church Freedom School

What:                           Press Conference and "National Day of Social Action" Rally

When:                          Friday, July 11, 2008
                                    Rally: 9:30 a.m,
                                    Press Conference: 11:00 a.m. 

Where: Rally:               Thomas Paine Park, Foley Square, Manhattan

Press Conference: City Hall, Manhattan RSVP: Media planning to attend should RSVPto Jaime Koppelat
jkoppel@cdf~ or (212) 697-2323. 

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The Children's Defense Fund's Leave No Child Behind ® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.