WASHINGTON, D.C. - President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden's Inaugural Committee have invited AmeriCorps Alums and the Peace Corps Community to march in the 56th Inaugural Parade. Only 100 organizations were selected out of the 1,382 organizations that applied to participate.

"These organizations embody the best of our nation's history, diversity and commitment to service. Vice President-elect (Joe) Biden and I are proud to have them join us in the parade," President-elect Obama said in announcing the participation of AmeriCorps Alums and the Peace Corps Community.

AmeriCorps Alums is a program of Points of Light Institute, whose mission is to equip, mobilize and inspire people to take action that changes the world. Approximately 550,000 individuals have completed a year or more of national voluntary service through AmeriCorps. Alumni continue to deliver change in our communities every day. By tutoring, providing disaster response, managing volunteers and mentoring, AmeriCorps Alumni are committed to a lifetime of service.

"We march in the hope and expectation that AmeriCorps will soon be a household name, and a year of service will soon be a norm for all Americans," said Amity Tripp - executive director of AmeriCorps Alums.

Over 1,200 alumni applied for the opportunity to get one of the coveted 150 slots to march in the Inaugural Parade. Diana Epstein, an alumnae of AmeriCorps* NCCC a program born from President Roosevelt's original national service idea of the Civilian Conservation Corps, is coming all the way from Los Angeles to march, a difficult trip for a full time PhD student. Diana says, "I would have done anything to be able to march with my fellow alumni. My two years in AmeriCorps changed my life. My NCCC team and I worked tirelessly on disaster recovery projects, rebuilding homes, trail restoration and assisting community members who needed a helping hand. While we were serving others, I feel as though I was the one who was impacted the most. AmeriCorps started me on a path of public service and I will continue to engage in my community, fight for issues I believe in and realize my own power to make change happen."

The 150 inspirational civic leaders chosen to march will represent their peers in the parade by carrying flags from the 50 states and U.S. territories benefitted by their AmeriCorps service. They will also carry banners displaying the many critical projects they lead in communities small and large. Sponsored by Nike, the marchers will be outfitted in uniform attire that will keep them warm in the Washington, D.C. winter weather.

AmeriCorps Alums A vibrant network of 550,000 civic leaders, addressing our nation’s most challenging issues through citizen service. Tuesday’s parade is the culmination of a weekend of service events included in President-elect Obama's call to service on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. AmeriCorps Alums are honored to be invited to lead volunteers at the official Presidential Inaugural Committee's (PIC) MLK Day project at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.

"I am excited to serve on MLK Day at the PIC's official project," says Alison Benefico, a Teach for America AmeriCorps alumnae. "We are making tens of thousands of care packages for our troops overseas. I cannot think of a better way to spend my day off than to serve with my fellow Americans," she said. From Portland, Ore., to Miami, Fla., AmeriCorps alumni will be painting schools, assisting the elderly and teaching children about the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. These activities are all in a day's service from AmeriCorps Alums.

On Wednesday, Jan. 21, as the stage is dismantled and the confetti is brushed aside, AmeriCorps Alums will continue their service through volunteering and civic leadership.

"AmeriCorps Alums will be getting things done. Will you join with them in President-elect Obama's call to service?" Tripp asked.

AmeriCorps Alums (http://www.americorpsalums.org) is the official national network of the half million Americans who have completed a year of service in AmeriCorps and decided to spend the rest of their lives as civic leaders addressing the critical needs of our country. AmeriCorps Alums is the largest national service related membership organization supporting these alumni in continued civic engagement, networking, leadership and professional development. If you are a current or former AmeriCorps member would like to connect to AmeriCorps Alums, please visit http://www.americorpsalums.org for more information.

AmeriCorps is part of a larger family of national service programs administered by the federal Corporation for National and Community Service that includes 500,000 Senior Corps volunteers and 1.4 million Learn and Serve America students. 75,000 AmeriCorps members serve each year through more than 4,000 nonprofit, faith-based and community groups; since its creation in 1993 more than 550,000 Americans have served. If you are interested in one of the 75,000 and rising public service opportunities offered each year by AmeriCorps, please visit http://www.americorps.gov to learn more.

A map of the parade route can be obtained at http://dc.about.com/library/maps/blmapinauguration.htm.

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