And the National Guard Youth Foundation (NGYF) is helping to make it possible. Our support of the National Guard Youth Challenge Program is giving high school dropouts a chance to turn their lives around. The NGYF is working to expand the program to make sure teens get the education, opportunity and structured training and mentoring they need to succeed. We are helping make a better America - one youth at a time...

2008 ChalleNGe Champions Gala

More than 1,000 corporate and military leaders joined celebrities, governors, members of Congress, Adjutants General, selected Youth ChalleNGe cadets, program leaders and other special guests to celebrate the growing success of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program helping America's at-risk youth. 

At the Washington DC event on February 26, 2008,  Karri Turner (star of JAG) served as MC to introduce this year's awardees: Senator Elizabeth Dole, Congressman Norm Dicks, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs Thomas Hall, West Virginia Adjutant General MG Allen Tackett, and Microsoft Vice President Kurt Colcun.

Special Guests Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (newest driver on the National Guard NASCAR racing team), Miss America 2008 Kirsten Haglund, and NGYF national spokesperson Kelly Perdew were featured.  "America's beloved tenor" Daniel Rodriguez performed and country music superstar Trisha Yearwood headlined the evening's entertainment.

To purchase photos from the event, click here.