Thursday, October 05, 2000

WILMINGTON, NC -- The University of North Carolina at Wilmington will participate in the White Ribbon Campaign, a national social awareness movement to involve men in the effort to end violence against women, scheduled for Oct. 21-24.

As part of the campaign, former professional football player Don McPherson, associate director of Athletes Helping Athletes Inc., will present "The Time Is Now, Stand Up and Be Counted: Stopping Sexual Violence" at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 24, in Kenan Auditorium. The presentation is free; $1 donations will be accepted to benefit the Domestic Violence Shelter Inc. The campaign is sponsored by the Chi Phi, Delta Tau Delta, Kappa Sigma and Sigma Nu fraternities at UNCW along with the Office of the Dean of Students, Division for Student Affairs and the Athletics Department.

McPherson attended Syracuse University from 1983 to 1988. In 1987, as quarterback, he led the nation in passing and Syracuse University to an undefeated season in football. A consensus All-America selection, McPherson won more than 18 national player-of-the-year honors including the Maxwell Award as the nation's top collegiate player.

Drafted by the National Football League, McPherson played two years for the Philadelphia Eagles before he was traded to the Houston Oilers in 1990. He also played for teams in Canada from 1991 to 1994.

Throughout his career, McPherson was involved in community organizations including Athletes Helping Athletes (AHA) based in Long Island, N.Y. In 1993, he founded Athletes Helping Athletes, Canada Inc. In 1996, McPherson was named director of the Sport in Society Mentors in Violence Program, a violence prevention program to encourage men to take a proactive position in an effort to stop men's violence against women. The MVP program was introduced in more than 80 high schools in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. In 1998, McPherson rejoined AHA and expanded the organization's programming to include Civility in Sports and other programs to address the wider range of school violence issues. As a consultant for the U.S. Justice Department's Agenda for the Nation on Violence Against Women, McPherson has made numerous presentations nationwide.

In addition to McPherson's lecture, UNCW White Ribbon Campaign sponsors will host two lectures for UNCW male athletes and fraternity members. Joseph Weinberg, an author and president of Men Stopping Rape-Madison, will present "Men Taking Responsibility: Condoms, Communication and Consent" to male athletes at 7 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 22, in Dobo Hall, Room 134, and "How Rape Hurts Males and What One Male Can Do to Help Stop It" to fraternity members at 7 p.m., Monday, Oct. 23, in the Warwick Center Ballroom.

Campaign sponsors will also distribute white ribbons to all male students, faculty and staff at the university to wear in support of the awareness effort. The sponsors will hold two free car washes from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 21, at the Wendy's in Landfall Center and Central Carolina Bank on Oleander Drive and a dunking booth from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday, Oct. 23, and Tuesday, Oct. 24, near the spirit rock at the UNCW University Union. In addition, the sponsors will also sell T-shirts Oct. 17-24. All donations and sale proceeds will benefit the Domestic Violence Shelter Inc.

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For more information, contact Dr. Brian Hemphill, associate dean of students, at 910/962-3119.