Declare Yourself:
Ballistics
Survivor Africa-winner and Grassroot Soccer Co-Founder Ethan Zohn shares the reason he votes - and why you should too
ABOUT ETHAN ZOHN Since winning CBS’s Survivor: Africa in 2001, Ethan Zohn has not only made a name for himself as an entertainment and broadcast personality and ambassador for the sport of soccer, but wielded his celebrity and influence in tireless dedication to the variety of causes that matter to him.
In 2002, Ethan co-founded Grassroot Soccer, a nonprofit organization that trains professional soccer players to teach African children, through a tailor-made curriculum, about HIV/AIDS prevention. Since its founding GRS has caught the attention of now partners Gates Foundation, FIFA Futbol for Hope, Daimler Chrysler, DeBeers and Kellogg Foundation, and ‘graduated’ over 230,000 youths. By the FIFA World Cup in South Africa in 2010, the organization’s goal is to graduate one million African youths from the program.
In August 2008, Ethan will officially launch Grassroot Soccer UNITED, an international, youth-led movement to raise money and build awareness for his foundation and mission to end HIV/AIDS in Africa, when he embarks on a world record-breaking 550-mile journey on foot, from Boston, MA, to Washington, D.C. – dribbling a soccer ball the entire route.
Ethan is also the national spokesperson for America Scores, an organization that helps inner-city kids participate in educational soccer programs. Other extensive charity work includes the Elizabeth Glazer Pediatric AIDS Foundation, KickAIDS, the Colon Cancer Alliance and Autism Speaks. [ READ MORE OF ETHAN ZOHN'S FULL BIO... ]
Why I Vote
The Walden University Presidential Youth Debate's "Why I Vote" offers a little extra inspiration to get you to the polls on Election Day, as well as a chance to have your own best reason to vote published in a book with other inspired Americans, including:
Billy Collins...
...former US Poet Laureate and Author of the new book Ballistics (Random House). You can click here to read why Billy Collins says he votes, or you can click here to have him read to you - from his new book featured in the latest video episode of Open-Door Poetry from Borders, our partner.
Ethan Zohn, winner of Survivor Africa and co-founder of Grassroot Soccer.
Debate Schedule
- 9/29 — extended to 4pm (ET). We stop accepting questions and allow our moderators and moderating panel organizations to choose the top 20 questions from 18-35 year olds and the top 5 from 13-17 year-old "Future Voters."
- 9/30 — Top 20 questions are posted here for 18-35 year olds to choose the 10 they most want answered, and the top 5 from 13-17 year olds are posted so "Future Voters" can choose the 2 they most want answered. Question voting ends at 10 PM
- 10/1 — 8 AM (ET). Along with one question each from our two moderators, we send the candidates the 14 questions young Americans themselves have chosen as most important to them.
- 10/17 — By 5 PM (ET). we receive all the video responses – each candidate's 14 well-thought-out, accurate answers, limiting candidates to 2 minute responses to each question. Walden University begins editing the debate together, leaving the answers themselves untouched. Each video question and answer will also be put into individual segments so people will have the option to view them individually or as one complete show.
- 10/22 — The 90-minute, Walden University Presidential Youth Debate airs at 1 PM (ET), giving young Americans the answers they need to vote for the future they want, and giving all Americans their last pre-Election look at where the candidates stand on the same exact issues.
