The 13th Man Hosts Second Annual Charlotte Spring Classic and Announces Registration for their Fourth Annual Summer Classic in Washington, DC

    LANDOVER, MD, May 17, 2018 /24-7PressRelease/ -- "Every young man across the nation will develop themselves to engage, act and lead as a confident community game changer." -- This is the vision of Davon Kelly, the Founder of the 13th Man, an enrichment program for young men ages 12 to 17. The 13th Man held its second Annual Spring Classic in Charlotte, North Carolina, from Friday, April 27 through Sunday April 29 at the Renaissance SouthPark Hotel. This year, 33 young men experienced a life-enhancing three-day leadership program, twice the attendance of the inaugural event last year.

According to the Charlotte Chapter's Director, Pastor Fred Lott, "The Spring Classic is filled with leadership development sessions that include lessons on manhood, conflict resolution and entrepreneurship." Our guest speakers were Eric Steigerwalt (President & CEO of Brighthouse Financial) and his son Kyle Steigerwalt, Antonio George (former Dallas Cowboy Tackle and owner of George Mechanical), and Thomas Holliday (Sports Attorney).

The participants also engaged in daily exercise and fun-filled activities, including a trip to Victory Lane Karting where all 33 members enjoyed go-kart racing after a day filled with workshops. One of the most popular aspects of the Spring Classic is the mentor dinner, which offered each member the opportunity to sit and engage with either their newly assigned mentor and/or leaders of the community. After dinner, the young men feasted on a conversation about the Value of Positive Men/Father-figures in your Life, led by Davon Kelly and Fred Lott. The evening wrapped with Guy Talk, where the young men were encouraged to ask questions that, in some cases, a male figure is not present in their lives to address their inquiries. Guy Talk was led by Manning McCutchen and 13th Man Mentors Dwight Peebles and Chris Ross.

Davon Kelly started the 13th Man in 2015 to pay homage to the mentors that helped shape the direction of his life. Kelly proudly added, "This year, we launched the Everett E. Kelly 13th Man Scholarship, named after my father, to encourage active members of the 13th Man to continue their pursuit of excellence." Three members were awarded $2500 each towards higher education in the 2018–2019 academic year. The 2018 recipients of the Everette E. Kelly 13th Man Scholarship are Aaron Downs (Washington, DC Chapter), Daniel Cottone (Washington, DC Chapter), and Machai Purnell (Charlotte, NC Chapter).

The Summer Classics for the Washington DC Chapter is scheduled from July 18 until July 21, 2018 and will be held at the Greenbelt Marriot in Greenbelt, Maryland. Registration is open until June 18th (visit the website www.the13thman.org). The 13th Man operates year-round and provides academic and SAT/ACT tutoring, enrichment programs and mentoring. For more information, please contact Kema at [email protected] or call, 301.429.8807.

About The 13th Man
The 13th Man was founded by E. Davon Kelly in 2015. There are three chapters: Washington, DC (2015), Charlotte, NC (2017), and Loudoun County, VA (2018). The three-day Classics, the 13th Man's signature event, which is held in the Spring (Charlotte), Summer (DC) and Fall (Loudoun County) is free to more than 150 members. The programs focus on life skills and enrichment activities that encourage participants to become leaders in their community and learn how to be accountable for their actions and decisions. The 13th Man is financially supported by the Annual 13th Man Charity Golf Event. This year's Golf Charity event will be on September 17, 2018 at Norbeck Country Club, in Rockville, MD. For more information, contact the 13th Man at 301.429.8807 or visit http://www.the13thman.org/sponsor.html

About EDK Companies
Headquartered in Landover, Maryland, NOVAD Management Consulting employs over 125 people throughout the United States. NOVAD's services include project and program management, process re-engineering, loan servicing and financial advisory services. The award-winning My Barber's Lounge opened in Greenbelt in 2012 and Forestville in 2013. The Barbershops were recipients of the 2013 Best of Gazette newspaper's award, Steve Harvey's Neighborhood Award for Best Barbershop in 2014 and the 2016 Greenbelt Small Business Excellence Award. Salon DK opened in March 2017 in Bowie, Maryland. The 13th Man is also supported by Davon Kelly's inspiring book, From Courtside to the Boardroom: A Legacy in the Making.

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