DODGERTOWN HOSTS STATE CONFERENCE

Vero Beach, FL, April 30, 2008 - With service in mind, the fun always follows. From May 15th through May 18th at Dodgertown in Vero Beach, the Florida District of the National Exchange Club will hold its 86th Annual Conference. The Florida District is part of the National Exchange Club network, an all-volunteer service organization for men and women who want to serve their community, develop leadership skills, and promote the Exchange Club's national project for the prevention of child abuse. Exchange consists of nearly 800 clubs and more than 25,000 members throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.

Exchange leaders will participate in a variety of educational and motivational training seminars. Guest speakers will include Tom White, Mayor of the City of Vero Beach; Sandra Bowden, Chairman of the Indian River County Board of Commissioners; Floyd Culver, President Elect of the National Exchange Club; Ryan Reid, a pitcher with the Vero Beach Devil Rays baseball team; and Captain Jon Teske, U.S. Army Reserve, principle of Citrus Elementary School and an Iraq War veteran. Approximately 200 members and guests from around the State are expected to attend.

In addition, the Exchange Club CASTLE, a local organization for the prevention of child abuse, will be dedicating its Memory Field display. CASTLE's Memory Field consists of 170 white flags, representing the deaths of the 170 children who died in 2006, in Florida alone, as a direct result of child abuse. The CASTLE, one of six Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Centers located in Florida that were founded by Exchange Clubs, is dedicated to teaching families and individuals the proper parenting skills needed to successfully raise children, even under difficult circumstances. The purpose of the Memory Field is to raise awareness to the issue of child abuse and its terrible consequences, as well as to the solutions provided by the CASTLE and other CAP centers.

Exchange, America's Service Club, is a group of men and women working together to make our communities better places to live through programs of service in Americanism, Community Service, Youth Activities, and its national project, the Prevention of Child Abuse.

Contact: Eric Menger, District Director - Division Two Tel: 772-978-4930 - EMenger@covb.org