Statement from Michael Brown, City Year CEO & Co-Founder, On David Einhorn's Participation in One Drop Poker Tournament

BOSTON, July 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- This week, David Einhorn, founder and president of Greenlight Capital, entered the World Series of Poker Big One for One Drop Tournament, and pledged to donate his winnings to City Year, a national, education-focused nonprofit organization that deploys diverse teams of young people to high-need urban schools nationwide. City Year's corps members dedicate a year to service keeping students in school and on track to graduate. Michael Brown, City Year's CEO & Co-Founder, issued this statement today, as Mr. Einhorn prepares to compete at the tournament's final table:

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"On behalf of the 2,500 City Year corps members serving in high-need schools across America and 17,000 City Year alumni, I want to express our sincere gratitude to David Einhorn for his unprecedented and generous gesture entering the One Drop tournament to support City Year. This was certainly a unique act of support David has shown for City Year, but also not the first.

"David and Cheryl Einhorn's years of partnership with City Year through their family foundation, the Einhorn Family Charitable Trust, have been marked by quiet, consistent and very generous financial support as well as leadership in the area of education reform that has helped shape our work in schools. The Trust's mission of helping people get along better complements City Year's strategy to build nurturing and engaging school environments where meaningful relationships and effective, social and emotional support can keep students in school and on track to graduate.

"We are enjoying watching David compete in this week's tournament, and wish him luck in this final round. The final result, however, is less important than the extraordinarily selfless act David made on behalf of City Year. David's impressive poker skills are surpassed only by his genuine and inspiring philanthropy. The Einhorns' philanthropy makes it possible for City Year to help schools build a community of students who strive to learn, embody the ideals of teamwork, and seek to make a difference.

"David's passion for helping students get ahead, get along, and give back is a model for other philanthropists, and we truly appreciate his and Cheryl's longtime support."

About City Year: City Year is an education-focused, nonprofit organization founded in 1988 that partners with public schools to provide full-time targeted intervention for students most at risk of dropping out.  In more than 20 communities across the United States and through two international affiliates, our teams of young AmeriCorps leaders support students by focusing on attendance, behavior, and course performance through in-class tutoring, mentoring, and after school programs that keep kids in school and on track to graduate.

SOURCE City Year