National CASA Association Announces Partnership with GRAMMY® Award-Winning R&B Recording Artist Anthony Hamilton

New CASA Radio PSA Launched During Hamilton’s National Summer Concert Tour

SEATTLE, August 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — The
National Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Association announced
today that GRAMMY Award-winning R&B recording artist Anthony
Hamilton will serve as a national spokesman for the organization.

Through the use of a :30 PSA, Hamilton will work
diligently to recruit African American male volunteers for the national
nonprofit organization. He will also represent CASA at national child
welfare conferences and events around the country to raise awareness of
the growing number of African American children in the foster care
system.

David Soukup, a Seattle Superior Court Judge,
developed the CASA concept in 1977, after becoming concerned about
making decisions on behalf of abused and neglected children without
enough information. He conceived the idea of appointing community
volunteers to speak up for the best interests of these children in
court.

Today, there are more than 70,000 CASA volunteers who
advocate for more than 230,000 children in the foster care system.
These caring adults serve as fact-finders for judges by thoroughly
researching the background of assigned cases and ensuring that they are
brought to a swift and appropriate conclusion. In the United States,
more than 152,000 African American children are in the child welfare
system, with boys representing more than half of the children in foster
care; yet there are only 8,400 African American CASA volunteers.

“We are honored and excited that Anthony Hamilton
will serve as one of our national spokesmen,” stated Michael Piraino,
chief executive officer of the National CASA Association. “His passion
and dedication for children will go a long way to help us recruit much
needed African American male volunteers.”

Hamilton will work alongside Judge Glenda Hatchett,
who has been a national spokeswoman for CASA for the past seven years,
to raise awareness of the organization and to recruit volunteers.

“Our boys need positive role models,” noted Hamilton.
“Becoming a part of CASA will provide me with an opportunity to reach
out to those men who can become everyday heroes to these children, and
help change their life of hurt, into one of hope.”

A native of Charlotte, N.C., Hamilton first
discovered his musical talents at the age of 10 while singing in his
church choir. In 2002, Hamilton received his career-molding break when
he collaborated with the Nappy Roots on “Po’ Folks.” That performance
earned the singer his first GRAMMY nomination for best rap/sung
collaboration and a new label, legendary music producer Jermaine Dupri’s
So So Def imprint. A year later, Hamilton’s platinum debut “Coming From
Where I’m From” was released, followed by the gold-certified “Ain’t
Nobody Worryin’” (2005).

Hamilton’s most recent album, “The Point of It All,”
was released in December 2008 on So So Def Recordings/Jive Records. The
album debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip Hop Album Chart and
at #11 on Billboard’s 200 Chart. “The Point of It All” sold 133,000
copies in its first week of release, the highest sales week of
Hamilton’s career. The critically acclaimed, gold-certified album also
received three GRAMMY nominations, earning Hamilton a career total of 10
GRAMMY nominations.

Not just a fan favorite, Hamilton is also the go-to
singer for other recording artists whether the medium is country,
hip-hop, R&B/soul, pop or gospel. He has sung with a veritable list
of who’s who in the music industry, including Al Green, Josh Turner,
Keyshia Cole, John Rich (Big & Rich), Carlos Santana, and Mint
Condition.

A multi-talented artist, Hamilton’s brand extends way
beyond the music industry. In 2007, he made a cameo appearance in the
blockbuster, Oscar-nominated film “American Gangster” starring Denzel
Washington, where he performed the soundtrack’s lead song, the Diane
Warren-penned “Do You Feel Me.” The film debuted at #1 and Hamilton’s
emotion-packed lyrical performance served as a pinnacle point in the
timeless film. That same year, Hamilton caught the attention of the
Jordan brand and became the second non-athlete in history to be endorsed
by the corporation and was enlisted as one of the all-star performers
on “We Are The World: 25 Years for Haiti.”

Over the course of Hamilton’s illustrious career, he
has been nominated and won numerous awards, including the 2004 Vibe
Music Awards for best collaboration and the Vibe Next Award; the 2006
BET J Cool Like Dat Award; and the 2009 GRAMMY Award for best
traditional R&B vocal performance for “You Got the Love I Need” with
Al Green.

Hamilton resides in Charlotte with his wife,
recording artist Tarsha McMillian, and their three sons. This summer, he
will headline the 2010 Budweiser Superfest Tour with recording artists
Jaheim, Raheem DeVaughn, Kem and Hal Linton. The much-anticipated
national concert tour officially kicked off on Aug. 5. The 2010
Budweiser Superfest Tour schedule includes the remaining dates:

For additional information about becoming a CASA volunteer, call toll free (800) 628-3233 or visit www.CASAforChildren.org.
CASA volunteers must be at least 21 years of age and successfully pass a
background check; participate in an in-depth 30-hour volunteer training
class; have good oral and written communication skills in order to
provide objective recommendations to the court; and upon receipt of
their first case, willingly commit to see the case closed, which
typically takes a year and a half.

About the National CASA Association

David Doukup, a Seattle Superior Court Judge,
developed the CASA concept in the late 1970s after becoming extremely
concerned about the lack of information he had when making monumental
decisions about the futures of abused and neglected children. Since the
first CASA volunteers began serving children in 1977, the program has
grown to cover more than 1,000 communities, with nearly 70,000
volunteers serving over 230,000 children in 2009.