Debbie Phelps Joins St. Joseph’s POWERED BY ME! Program
Teams with Congressman Elijah Cummings, Nancy Grasmick and St. Joseph CEO John Tolmie to Announce “PASS” (Parent Awareness of Steroids and Supplements) at PTA Council of Baltimore County Meeting at Loch Raven High School, January 29, 7:30 p.m.
WHAT: To encourage parent involvement to spread the message about the dangers of anabolic steroids and energy drinks, St. Joseph Medical Center’s Powered by Me! program, along with Congressman Elijah Cummings, Maryland State School Superintendent Nancy Grasmick , Maryland PTA President Debbie Ritchie and Debbie Phelps, will announce Phase Two of PASS education, (a pilot for the state) which consists of:
- Distribution of 15,000 refrigerator magnets to 24 Baltimore County public high schools. The magnets are printed with important information to help parents initiate a discussion with student athletes about dangers of anabolic steroids and energy drinks. The Baltimore County PTA will assist in distributing these custom magnets, in the shape of a baseball, football or a basketball.
- A newly designed, family-friendly Web site featuring easy-to-access information for families, as well as a video of Baltimore Oriole 2nd baseman Brian Roberts warning youth about the dangers of anabolic steroids. See: www.poweredbymemd.com.
- The “Playing Safe, Fair & Sober” pledge available on the Powered by Me! Web site. Parents are encouraged to ask their children and coaches to sign the pledge.
- The new Powered by Me! PSA has been sent to major media and will be distributed to all school systems in the state. The PSA is a partnership with the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Copies will be available at the press conference and are available at www.poweredbymemd.com,
WHERE: Loch Raven High School (cafeteria or auditorium), 1212 Cowpens Ave., Baltimore, MD.
WHEN: Thursday, January 29, 2009, 7:30pm
WHO:
- Congressman Elijah E. Cummings
- Nancy Grasmick, Maryland State School Superintendent
- Debbie Ritchie, Maryland State PTA president
- John Tolmie, CEO, St. Joseph Medical Center
- Deborah Phelps, principal, Windsor Mill Middle School, and mother of Olympic Gold Medalist, Michael Phelps
- Mike Gimbel, director, St. Joseph Medical Center’s Powered by Me!
“We cannot be truly successful in the battle against performance-enhancing drugs without the participation of parents,” Congressman Elijah Cummings said. “The Powered by ME! PASS program is absolutely critical in keeping parents educated about the warning signs and risks of steroid abuse—providing our community with the necessary armor to keep our children safe.”
“Anytime an issue involves Maryland children, it is incumbent upon the Maryland State Department of Education to be involved in educating students, teachers, and parents,” said Dr. Nancy S. Grasmick, Maryland State Superintendent of Schools. “This new PASS program will be instrumental in helping parents help their children resist the social pressure to use anabolic steroids and performance enhancing supplements.”
“Parents play a critical role in teaching their children to play their sport safe, fair and free of all drugs,” agreed Mike Gimbel, director of Powered by Me!. “Providing educational magnets, a new family-friendly Web site, a new PSA and the Powered by Me! pledge will give parents the tools they need to help support and educate their children. We hope to spread this program statewide as soon as possible.”
Powered by ME! is a grant-driven program of St. Joseph Medical Center, supported by Catholic Health Initiatives.
PASS resource information is available online at www.poweredbymemd.com.
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St. Joseph Medical Center is a 354-bed nonprofit, regional medical center in Towson, Md., and a member of Catholic Health Initiatives. Founded in 1864 by the Sisters of St. Francis, St. Joseph has been recognized by “U.S. News & World Report” as one of America’s best orthopaedic facilities and is a nationally ranked Top 100 heart hospital. For more information about St. Joseph Medical Center, visit sjmcmd.org.
