Immediate Release…May 15, 2006, Yolanda King, daughter of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King, is rallying fellow African-American leaders in politics, religion, healthcare, the arts, sports and entertainment to launch the national outreach of the American Stroke Association’s Power to End Stroke campaign on Thursday, May 18, 2006 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Sheraton Delfina Santa Monica Hotel, 530 West Pico Boulevard, Santa Monica, Calif.

The burden of stroke is greater among African-Americans than any other ethnic group in America. Blacks have almost twice the risk of first-ever stroke compared to whites, and blacks 34 - 54 years old have four times the relative risk for stroke.

King and other leaders, such as Berry Gordy, Hector Elizondo, Rev. Joseph Lowery Robert Guillame, Anna Marie Horsford and other community leaders will inaugurate the Power to End Stroke campaign, an aggressive education and awareness initiative for African-Americans. As they join in the fight against stroke, the ambassadors will “Share the Power” by recruiting other respected leaders and by getting deeply involved in local grassroots and educational efforts to help reduce the risk of stroke in the African-American community across the country.

“African-Americans take on many battles that are often societal challenges,” said King. “Stroke is a health battle that we must take seriously and confront together, because the ramifications can be overwhelming and deadly for you and your loved ones,” added King. “Through Power to End Stroke, we are creating a movement to help each other live stronger, healthier lives. As a people, we must join together to embrace this campaign,” stressed King.

The American Stroke Association states that stroke is the Number 3 killer in the United States and a leading cause of disability; someone suffers a stroke every 45 seconds. *For one-year survivors of stroke, the most common cause of death during the first five years is a cardiovascular event. More than 100,000 African-Americans have a stroke each year and many don’t know that they are at risk.

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“African-Americans are at particularly high risk for stroke because of their increased risk for hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes. Through the Power To End Stroke campaign people learn how to reduce these and other stroke risks,” said Ralph Sacco, M.D., chair of the American Stroke Association’s Advisory Committee.

In addition to the awareness of stroke, the campaign strives to encourage individuals to call the American Stroke Association at 1-888-4-STROKE or visit www.strokeassociation.org/power to:

* Take the stroke pledge to begin the journey to reduce stroke risk;
* Receive free information about African-Americans and stroke;
* Find out how to reduce stroke in the community through the Power To End Stroke campaign.

The Power To End Stroke campaign is supported nationally by the Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership.

About Yolanda King

Yolanda King is the first-born daughter of the late Coretta Scott King and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Yolanda’s mission is to encourage personal growth and positive social change through her artistic endeavors, including acting, producing, speaking and teaching. Her passion for peace and positive change prompted her to become founder of Higher Ground Productions, an organization dedicated to teaching people to celebrate diversity and embrace unity.

About the American Stroke Association

The goal of the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, is to reduce disability and death from stroke through research, education and advocacy. In its 2004-05 fiscal year, the association spent more than $151 million to support stroke research, education and public advocacy

*Source: Hardie K, Hankey Gj, et al, Ten-year survival after first-ever stroke in the Perth Community Stroke Study. Stroke. 2003;1842-1846. direct pick up page 1845 fourth paragraph starting with "For 1-year survivors"