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   Nichole Garner, Sara Garner,  Teresa Grey, Howard Grey, Amanda Grey, Elecia Grey and Megan Grey

  Sevier County, TN – Wake up early. Make sure the kids are prepared and on time for school. Get dinner ready, help with homework, spend quality time with the kids before bedtime, and try to find a few minutes for herself. Being a great mom is a non-stop effort, often with few accolades. But that’s about to change for Pigeon Forge Branch Director Teresa Grey, who’s proven to not only be a great mom, but an exceptional one! For her efforts, Grey has been named by Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE: KMB) as one of 16 finalists for the 2012 Most Inspirational Mom.

The search, which highlights everyday moms doing extraordinary things, sought finalists based on their contributions to their children, families and communities. Grey could be named one of three moms to receive a University of Phoenix full-tuition scholarship (undergraduate or graduate and electronic educational materials). All three selected moms will also receive a Kimberly-Clark survival kit, which includes a one-year supply of its well-known brands such as Viva, Kleenex, Cottonelle and Huggies.

Grey, who was nominated by both of her daughters, works at the Boys & Girls Club of Smoky Mountains where she began as a volunteer and worked her way up to Branch Director. Late last year Grey got married, but found out three days later that her new husband has cancer in four places. Despite these challenges in her life, Grey continues to be an inspiration through her work at the Club and her involvement in the community. She collects coats for the less fortunate, helps feed the hungry, collects truck loads of toys for the holidays and helps community youth find scholarships. Grey now moves one step closer to becoming the Most Inspirational Mom.

   The Most Inspirational Mom search is part of BGCA’s Family PLUS (Parents, Leading, Uniting, Serving) initiative, which is a family strengthening program derived from BGCA’s long-standing partnership with Kimberly-Clark. Family PLUS encourages Boys & Girls Clubs around the country to integrate family strengthening activities into their programming, in addition to hosting Family Nights to help teach parents a number of skills to strengthen their own families. Currently some 2,000 Boys & Girls Clubs around the country are implementing Family PLUS into their programming.

Lucille O’Neal, mother of four children including legendary basketball player Shaquille O’Neal, is the ambassador of the Family PLUS program and launched the Most Inspirational Mom search in November 2011. “I came up through the Boys & Girls Club and so did my children, so I have a strong connection to Family PLUS and the Most Inspirational Mom search. We have heard about many incredible moms through this process, but now we are down to the top 16, and every one of these moms would be ideal choices because they are all wonderfully inspirational. The competition is tough but the reward is sweet,” said O’Neal, also a University of Phoenix alum.

Grey joins 15 other finalists currently highlighted on familyplus.bgca.org. In the next step of the search, each mom will submit a scholarship application with three short essays further detailing her work with her family and within the community, plus her desire to go back to school. A panel of judges will review the 16 applications and select the three scholarship winners.  The three Most Inspirational Moms will be announced during the week of May 7, 2012, and will be able to enroll at University of Phoenix during the summer.

University of Phoenix provides access to higher education opportunities that enable students to develop knowledge and skills necessary to achieve their professional goals, improve the productivity of their organizations and provide leadership and service to their communities. With courses available in the evenings and online, University of Phoenix is a perfect fit for working parents or stay-at-home parents looking to refresh their skills before reentering the workforce.

For details on the Most Inspirational Mom search or to get additional information on Family PLUS, please visit: familyplus.bgca.org. For more information on University of Phoenix scholarships, visit phoenix.edu/scholarships.