Rap star Ludacris and his The Ludacris Foundation will be honoured with this year’s Spirit of Youth award for their efforts to help America’s young people.
The National Runaway Switchboard (NRS) made the announcement at its Spirit of Youth Launch Party in Chicago on Monday.
Ludacris’ song Runaway Love, from his Grammy-winning Release Therapy album, about situations which lead young people to run away from home, led to the NRS partner with the rapper and his foundation.
"The timing could not have been better with November's National Runaway Prevention Month," says the NRS’s executive director.
"Since the release of Runaway Love, Ludacris' and The Foundation's commitment to helping runaway youth and letting people know about the help they can receive by calling 1-800-RUNAWAY has only increased."
Since the NRS teamed up with Luda, the number of visitors to its website, www.1800RUNAWAY.org, and calls to its hotline have increased significantly.
The hip hop star and the president of his foundation, Roberta Shields, will be presented with the Spirit of Youth award on November 1, 2007.
