FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Taylor Hooton Foundation Selected to Educate Rhode Island High Schoolers During 2013-2014 Academic Year McKinney, TX (August 16, 2013) The Taylor Hooton Foundation (THF), widely acknowledged leader in the advocacy against performance enhancing substance abuse by the youth of North America, announced today that they have been selected by the Rhode Island InterscholasticLeague (RIIL) to present their education programs in all of the high schools in the state duringthe upcoming school year as part of a new RIIL project, Operation Clean Competition.  This project is made possible by a $75,000 grant from The Rhode Island Foundation. Operation Clean Competition will provide educational messages about the severe impact of human growth hormone (HGH) and other performance enhancing drugs to the athletes, coaches and parents across Rhode Island. The award is the inaugural grant from the Clean Competition Fund, established in 2011 following a federal plea agreement with Genescience Pharmaceuticals. “We are not only honored to be selected for this effort,” said THF Founder Don Hooton, “but also impressed with the efforts of the RIIL to get this critical message out to the kids and their adult influencers across the state. As we’ve seen in the news recently, the use of appearance and performance enhancing drugs (APEDs) continues to be an issue, and it’s not just at the professional level.” “Too many states and too many school districts think random testing is the answer, but we know from national research that education is a critical component – the most critical component – to preventing APED use” continued Hooton. “What the RIIL is doing is the right approach.” “There was a lot of interest in this grant and we are thrilled and honored that the Rhode Island Foundation selected this program as the medium to educate the athletes of the state,” said Tom Mezzanotte, Executive Director of the RIIL. “This allows us to bring in someone as qualified as the Taylor Hooton Foundation to deliver this message – and this will only benefit the kids and athletes of our state.” The THF was formed in memory of Taylor E. Hooton, a 17-year old high school student athlete who took his own life as a result of using anabolic steroids. The THF is considered a national expert on this topic and is funded by sources including MLB, the NFL and the NHL. Don Hooton Sr. kicks off Operation Clean Competition educating Rhode Island student-athletes, parents and coaches from Cranston East and Cranston West High Schools on Sunday, August 18th at 2:30pm in the Cranston East Auditorium. For more information about the Taylor Hooton Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization, visit www.taylorhooton.org or call 972.403.7300 Contact: Kyle Purdy, VP Corporate Development Kyle.purdy@taylorhooton.org