Noted Television Personality Judge Greg Mathis
Will Address Annual Men's Health Summit

Boston - Whittier Street Health Center announces its third annual A Healthier You: Men's Health Summit on Saturday, June 14, 2003, 11:00 A.M. - 2:30 P.M. at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Roxbury, 1350 Columbus Avenue, Roxbury. The keynote speaker for this year's event is Judge Greg Mathis.

For the past two years, Whittier has sponsored the Men's Health Summit, the first men's health summit of its kind in New England. Since its inception more than 1000 men and families have attended the event. Last year, The Summit featured the 16th United States Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher and Luis Tiant, the former star pitcher for the Boston Red Sox.

Whittier is pleased to have Judge Greg Mathis to headline the Men's Health Summit 2003. Judge Greg Mathis was elected to Michigan's 36th District Court in 1995. His election became a national success story and a symbol of hope for urban youth who are struggling to overcome the modern-day pressures and hardships of poverty, drugs and violence. A former street youth and high school dropout, Mathis' lawlessness brought him before a judge who cared, a judge who ordered the teenaged dropout to get a G.E.D. or face jail time. He obtained his G.E.D. as ordered by the judge and went on to become a committed civil rights activist, public servant, and the youngest elected judge in the state of Michigan. Currently he is the star of Warner Brothers', Judge Mathis.

"The Men's Health Summit is an excellent opportunity for men in our community to come together and learn about issues that impact their well being," says Whittier President and CEO Frederica M. Williams. "We are indeed thrilled to have Judge Mathis to join us this year. He is a wonderful role model and his story inspires men of all ages."

A Healthier You: Men's Health Summit also feature noted physician John Rich, Medical Director, Boston Public Health Commission, former news anchor and prostate cancer survivor, Charles Austin, and Larry Higginbottom, founder of the Osiris Group, a non-profit organization working with urban youth and their families in the Greater Boston area; along with health evaluations and screenings, health information tables, and workshops.

Whittier is a private, non-profit, independently licensed community health center. For more than seventy years, Whittier has provided quality, affordable, culturally competent primary health care and social services that respond to needs of the uninsured and underinsured neighborhoods of Boston, and particularly communities of color. Whittier remains a leader in offering innovative and important programs to address the health risks and disparity rates.

The Summit is a free event and is opened to the community by registration. To register or for additional information, call 617-989-3249.