January 30, 2008

Pittsburgh, PA – Two hundred middle and high school students from across Pittsburgh will watch the Pittsburgh Xplosion take on the Atlanta Krunk on Friday, February 1, as part of ongoing local program to prevent youth violence.

The students will be joined by representatives from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and PAX/Real Solutions to Gun Violence, a nonprofit sponsoring the basketball game to raise awareness among young people about the importance of reporting weapon threats at school and in their neighborhoods.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, over a million high school students carry a weapon at school at least once a month.  Nearly one million students miss at least one day of school a month because they are afraid to attend.

The SPEAK UP program in Pittsburgh features 1-866-SPEAK-UP, a free hotline that students can call to anonymously report weapons threats. It also includesa direct education program and media campaign, introduced to local youth over the past year through funding from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. Mayor Ravenstahl and Police Chief Harper have endorsed SPEAK UP, which is run in partnership with local schools and community organizations.

The SPEAK UP team will be handing out noisemakers and hosting a raffle for all attendees in addition to sponsoring the half-time challenge.  A Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Officer will speak to the crowd at half time about the SPEAK UP campaign.

Who:	Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Youth Program Officers Students from Communities in Schools-Pittsburgh/Allegheny County Students from City Charter High School Student representatives from One Vision One Life SPEAK UP program staff members
What:	Xplosion vs. Atlanta Krunk Game: Violence Prevention Night for PA Youth
When:	Friday, February 1, 2008, 7:05 pm
Where:	Petersen Events Center 3719 Terrace Street, Pittsburgh, PA
To Attend:	A limited number of seats are available for accredited journalists. Please contact Becca Seely at 212-269-5106 or becca@paxusa.org.

SPEAK UP is based on a joint U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Department of Education study, which shows that in 81% of school shootings, the attacker tells other students about their plans beforehand. Further studies have shown that when weapons are confiscated in schools, 92% of the time the tip comes from another student.

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