BET Honors Washington, DC based ROOT, Inc. Founder Kenneth Barnes As Winner of BET Hometown Hero Award

BET Honors Washington, DC based ROOT, Inc. Founder Kenneth Barnes As Winner of BET Hometown Hero Award

DC City Council Honors Barnes on October 6th with a Resolution, Proclamation, and Day in His Honor, for His Dedication as a Community Leader and for ROOT's Efforts to Reduce Violence

WASHINGTON, Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Black Entertainment Television (BET) network and Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) recently honored local hero, Kenneth Barnes, the Founder/CEO of Reaching Out to Others Together, Inc. (ROOT) as the 2009 recipient of the Hometown Hero Award. The award, presented by KFC, BET and Pride 360 included a $5,000 donation to ROOT, Inc. In addition, Mr. Barnes will be honored Tuesday, October 6, 2009 at 10 AM by the Washington, D.C. City Council with a resolution in his honor, a Proclamation, and a day in his name. The ceremony will take place in the Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, as a part of the DC Council's agenda.

Upon acceptance of the BET award, Mr. Barnes stated, "We would like to personally thank all who took the time to vote for myself and for ROOT, Inc. To win this award after being named one of five finalists from across the country is a tremendous honor, but more so recognition of the work and effort involved in our campaign to reduce gun violence and youth violence."

Created in 2002 after the brutal murder of Kenneth Barnes, Jr., ROOT, Inc. (Reaching Out to Others Together) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization committed to advocacy, education, and intervention on behalf of victims of gun violence and their families. ROOT's mission is to motivate and mobilize communities to take a proactive approach in reducing homicides as well as the senseless gun violence and youth violence plaguing cities throughout America. In January 2008, the first official chapter of ROOT outside of its home base in Washington, DC, was opened in Boston, MA.

In April of 2009, at the National Crime Victims' Rights Week Awards Ceremony, Attorney General Eric Holder and the Department of Justice awarded Mr. Barnes and ROOT with the National Service Award. Over the years, Mr. Barnes and his dedication to reducing gun violence and its devastating impact on families and communities have been recognized for various awards and honors including proclamations in his name and days of honor in Prince Georges County, MD, Montgomery County, MD, and the District of Columbia; the Robert Lamb Humanitarian Award from the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE); Loren Warboys Unsung Hero Award from the Youth Law Center; and being honored with then Lt. Gov. Michael Steele of Maryland as Man of the Year in Prince Georges County. www.rootinc.org

   Press Contact: Priscilla Clarke                  (202) 723-2200                  pclarkepr@aol.com  

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Source: ROOT, Inc.

CONTACT: Priscilla Clarke for ROOT, Inc., +1-202-723-2200,
pclarkepr@aol.com

Web Site: http://www.rootinc.org/

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Profile: International Entertainment