Here is a pre-race media release that I fully support - and those of you who know me know why I support this.

Cotton Indian Elementary school fifth grade student William Starr of Stockbridge, Ga. gets a ride to school from NASCAR driver Bobby Labonte in the Ask.com Ford on Friday, March 6, 2009. The Ask.com Safe Search Schools program recognized Cotton Indian Elementary for its commitment to internet safety education and provided the school with a computer lab donation and special visit from Labonte.  Photo Credit: Action Sports Photography, Inc.

ASK.COM SAFE SEARCH SCHOOLS PROGRAM’ AWARDS NEW COMPUTERS TO

COTTON INDIAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOR OUTSTANDING INTERNET SAFETY EDUCATION

 

NASCAR® Driver Bobby Labonte Visits School and Gives Fifth Grader a Ride

 

Henry County, GA, March 6, 2009 –  In a move to foster Internet safety, Ask.com, a leading search engine and an operating business of IAC (Nasdaq: IACI), and Official Search Engine of NASCAR, Web Wise Kids (webwisekids.org) and NASCAR  are recognizing Cotton Indian Elementary school for its outstanding efforts to teach cyber safety as part of the "Ask.com Safe Search Schools Program."  At 8:00 a.m. today, Cotton Indian Elementary, located at 1201 Old Conyers Road,  is receiving a donation of new computers and a visit from NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™ driver Bobby Labonte, in advance of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway (March 7-8).  Cotton Indian Elementary was selected by a Blue Ribbon Panel of experts from among nearly 200 Atlanta area entries.

 

"Awareness accelerates with knowledge, and it is heartening to see Atlanta area elementary schools advance learning on both the benefits and potential dangers of the Internet," said Jim Safka, chief executive officer of Ask.com.  "Along with our partners Web Wise Kids and NASCAR, we are proud to sponsor this serious message in the form of a fun program, and look forward to continuing to spread the word that cyber safety should be taught early and often." 

 

"NASCAR is proud to join Ask.com in this youth-focused program that showcases safety," said Mike Helton, president of NASCAR. "Keeping our children safe online is one of the most important issues for parents, teachers and children today. I am impressed with the quality and volume of entries from Atlanta area elementary schools, and salute educators and students alike for their active participation in the Safe Search Schools program.  Congratulations to Cotton Indian Elementary School for its outstanding efforts."

 

Nearly 200 fifth graders in seven Atlanta area elementary schools across four county school districts participated in the "Ask.com Safe Search Schools Program," including Brumby Elementary, Conley Hills Elementary, Dutchtown Elementary, Finch Elementary, Mt. Carmel Elementary and Ola Elementary.  As part of the program teachers, media and computer specialists conducted "Ask.com Safe Search Schools" Internet safety lessons and worked with students to generate submissions that included their own ideas about how to teach online safety. 

 

"It’s great to see children my own kids’ age engaged in learning about and safely exploring the worlds available to them online," said Labonte.  "It is a pleasure to drive to Cotton Indian with an honored student passenger, and meet the media specialists and students responsible for such compelling Internet safety program entries."   In addition to representing Ask.com on the race track, Labonte, who is the father of an 11-year-old daughter and a 15-year-old son, serves as the brand's spokesperson for its efforts to promote Internet safety for children.  

 

Ask.com Safe Search Schools Program/2

 

Ask.com Blue Ribbon Panel Selection

Members of the Ask.com Blue Ribbon Panel include Jim Safka, chief executive officer of Ask.com;  Mike Helton, president of NASCAR;  Judi Westberg Warren, President of Web Wise Kids; and Bobby Labonte, professional NASCAR driver.  The group judged entries and selected Cotton Indian Elementary based on its robust curriculum-integrated Internet safety education activities, as well as a fifth grade student "lesson plan" consisting of a board game with "good" and "bad" website cards.  Other top student submissions included an Internet scavenger hunt to find "blocked" and safe sites, and a trivia game about online information. 

 

In addition to new computers and a visit from Bobby Labonte, Cotton Indian Elementary received a donation of Web Wise Kids’ fun, challenging and interactive computer games that teach Internet safety to parents and students through real-life simulations.  "We applaud Ask.com for conceiving such a vital recognition program, whose promise of both computers for learning and a special day with a NASCAR driver for fun is a powerful combination by which to reach both educators and kids with this important message," said Judi Westberg Warren, president of Web Wise Kids.

 

The Ask.com Safe Search Schools program will now focus on recognizing elementary schools in Dallas-Ft. Worth for their efforts to foster Internet safety.  Dallas-Ft. Worth teachers and students interested in participating should visit www.safesearchschools.com to download the necessary forms and submit them via e-mail to enter@safesearchschools.com by 10:00 p.m. on March 25, 2009. 

 

The Ask.com Safe Search Schools program coincides with the launch of an Ask.com and Web Wise Kids radio and television Public Service campaign featuring Bobby Labonte, to promote the importance of parents playing a key role in keeping kids safe online.  Earlier this year Ask.com entered into partnerships with The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), NASCAR.COM, and Hall of Fame Racing, becoming the Official Search Engine of NASCAR.

 

About Ask.com

Ask.com is an operating business of IAC (Nasdaq: IACI). The Ask Network of sites is the 11th largest Internet property in the world, with more than 164 million worldwide unique monthly users, according to January 2009 comScore data. Ask.com syndicates its search technology and advertising solutions to a network of affiliate partners.

 

About Web Wise Kids
Web Wise Kids is a national non-profit organization dedicated to empowering today's youth to make wise choices online through easy-to-use, school-approved Internet safety education programs for young people.  Today's e-generation is taught valuable lessons using unique computer games with fun, interactive simulations based on real-life criminal cases.  Web Wise Kids programs have reached more than five million children and thousands of parents nationwide in conjunction with school systems, law enforcement, teachers, community-based youth organizations and others.  For more information, visit www.webwisekids.org or call 714-435-2885.

 

Ask.com Safe Search Schools Program/3

 

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for one of North America's premier sports. NASCAR is the No. 1 spectator sport -- holding 17 of the top 20 highest attended sporting events in the U.S., and is the No. 2 rated regular-season sport on television. NASCAR races are broadcast in more than 150 countries and in more than 30 languages. NASCAR fans are the most brand loyal in all of sports, and as a result more Fortune 500 companies participate in NASCAR than in any other sport.