After 5 Years Colored Rocks Foundation Closing Operations and Ending Georgia's Colored Rocks Prize

ATLANTA - April 5, 2017 - PRLog -- Georgia's Colored Rocks Foundation has announced it has begun winding down its activities and will cease operations at the end of April, taking with it the Colored Rocks Prize and marking the end of its 5-year run.

The organization's website announced earlier that the Colored Rocks Prize would not be awarded in 2017. Then today, an official announcement that the foundation will cease operations was posted on the organization's Facebook and Twitter pages.

Cheryl Dukes, executive director of the Colored Rocks Foundation confirmed the closing. "I announced to our board of directors that I would be stepping away from my position a few months ago to concentrate on other commitments and desires", stated Dukes.

Considering Dukes' pending departure, the board explored strategic options, including a new CEO and budgeting to expand its initiative. "In the end, we were challenged to attract consistent corporate funding to take the organization in the direction we wanted to go, and we did not intend to operate the organization as a private foundation. So we decided to cease operations completely", explained Dukes.

The organization has begun the dissolution process and is now making final notifications and payments. Since the Colored Rocks Prize will not be awarded in 2017, all donations made to the Colored Rocks Foundation during the past 6 months will be returned to donors. Dukes also offered the following:

"I am beyond grateful for the blessing of having led the initiative to honor the brilliance and graciousness of more than 70 of Georgia's distinguished ethnic male students. It was most gratifying to shed a positive light on the accomplishments of historically underserved students. Those students used their diverse talent and peer influence to develop and inspire hundreds of at-risk male students in their respective communities.

We greatly appreciate the support of our donors, volunteers and participants who took this journey with us. Together, we awarded thousands of dollars in prize money, which most of the awardees used to help pay for college.

Recipients of the Colored Rocks Prize were selected from the smallest towns in Georgia to its largest metropolis and from all points in-between. Though they came from different backgrounds and experiences, what they shared was immense talent and determination, along with a desire to offer their talent where it was most desperately needed. Their promise is heartwarming and I, for one, am looking forward to watching the footprint they will leave on the world."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Rosemarie Fermo

Colored Rocks Foundation, Inc.

Phone: 404-57-ROCKS (76257)

Website: http://www.coloredrocks.org