[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 130 (Thursday, September 25, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1852-E1853]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            TRIBUTE TO ``THE BIG HELP'' NICKELODEON PROGRAM

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 25, 1997

  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, this year, the Presidents' Summit for 
America's Future brought well-deserved attention to volunteers and 
volunteer programs throughout the country.
  Six months later, a number of news organizations are reviewing the 
results the summit brought about in corporate America. One volunteer 
initiative that is especially interesting to me is Nickelodeon's ``The 
Big Help.'' This is a volunteer program that began 4 years ago and 
focuses on motivating and inspiring kids aged 6 to 14 to volunteer.
  ``The Big Help'' distinguishes itself because it involves not only 
Nickelodeon's corporate pledge to the summit, but also young 
Nickelodeon watchers' pledges to volunteer annually. This program is 
effective because it teaches children at an early age the value of 
giving back to their communities.
  As part of its public responsibility, Nickelodeon created ``The Big 
Help''; in 1994 after their research discovered that kids wanted to 
help make the world a better place, they just didn't know how. 
Combining on-air messaging, school and community outreach, and 
partnerships with 23 national volunteer organizations, ``The Big Help'' 
provides kids with tools to actively volunteer and participate in real 
helping activities.
  This Sunday, September 28, Nickelodeon is inviting Members of 
Congress and their families to a celebration of kid volunteerism and 
``The Big Help.'' This event will also showcase Nick, Jr., 
Nickelodeon's award-winning preschool programming block, and its new 
online offerings including ``nick.com'' and ``teachers.nick.com,'' the 
Internet component to Nickelodeon's ``Cable-in-the-Classroom'' 
programs.
  In addition to dedicating 10 percent of its airtime to ``The Big 
Help,'' Nickelodeon also provides substantial off-channel resources for 
outreach, including curriculum for elementary and middle schools and 
volunteer planning kits. In 1996, during the third annual ``Big Help-a-
Thon,'' over 8.5 million kids called in and pledged over 92 million 
hours to making a difference in their communities.

[[Page E1853]]

  To further reach kids on a grassroots level, Nickelodeon will kick-
off ``The Big Help-on-the-Road,'' this Sunday in Washington. This 
mobile Big Help headquarters features video-based interactive kiosks, 
on-site volunteer activities, and information about local volunteer 
opportunities. ``The Big Help-on-the-Road'' will travel to local 
communities across the country--urban and rural, large and small--to 
champion the spirit of kid's voluntarism.
  I hope you will join me in saluting Nickelodeon and its partner 
organizations in ``The Big Help.'' These include: 4-H, American Camping 
Association, The American Humane Association, Big Brothers/Big Sisters 
of America, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the Caption Center, Earth 
Force, Easter Seals, Feed the Children, Girl Scouts of the USA, Girls 
Inc., Habitat for Humanity, Keep America Beautiful, National P.T.A., 
National Wildlife Federation, Points of Light Foundation, Ronald 
McDonald Charities, Safe America Foundation, Second Harvest, The U.S. 
Department of Education, Youth Service America, YMCA of the USA, and 
YWCA of the USA.
  I'd like to commend Herb Scannell, president of Nickelodeon, for his 
corporate leadership and commitment to empowering kids to make a 
difference. I would also like to commend Marva Smalls, senior vice 
president at Nickelodeon, and a constituent of mine, for organizing 
``The Big Help'' program.
  Finally, I would like to salute the millions of kids across the 
country who are volunteering their time and efforts to make their world 
a better place. They should serve as an example to all of us.

                          ____________________