BRIDGEPORT, CT - (July 28, 2006) United Way of Eastern Fairfield County has selected Bridgeport Bluefish co-founder and CEO Mary-Jane Foster to serve as honorary chair of the 2006 Day of Caring, which will take place on Wednesday morning, November 1, 2006 at the UB Bernhard Center. Foster also serves as the co-chair of United Way of Eastern Fairfield County's Success By 6® initiative. In this position, Foster has helped make a significant, positive impact on the future of young people by working to ensure that all children in the greater Bridgeport community enter school ready to learn and experience success in the early grades.

As 2006 Day of Caring chair, Foster will oversee the growth initiative to help ensure that students’ early success continues throughout all their years of schooling and that they graduate aptly prepared for college and the world of work. To celebrate the 15th anniversary of their annual Day of Caring, United Way is dispensing with traditional activities to host a special event at which they will introduce 15 ways that participants can positively impact the life of a child.

Along with Foster and other speakers at the Day of Caring event will be special guest Coach Herman Boone, whose remarkable story was recounted in the movie, Remember the Titans. Boone will present the keynote address.
Details of the 2006 Day of Caring, including online registration, will be available at www.thewaytocare.org <http://www.thewaytocare.org> within the next few weeks.

United Way of Eastern Fairfield County’s mission is to mobilize a stronger, more caring community across Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford and Trumbull. Our focus is on what matters. We are bringing people together from all across the community - people from government, business, faith groups, nonprofits, and ordinary citizens - to tackle the issues that matter most. United Way is committed to the bottom line results: the lives we change and the communities we shape. Find out more at www.thewaytocare.org <http://www.thewaytocare.org>.