<span>              <span style="">SAINTS AWARD $20,000 IN GRANT MONIES TO HONOR AREA COMMUNITY QUARTERBACK VOLUNTEERS</span>                 

The New Orleans Saints announced today that Timothy Falcon of Marrero, LA is the 2009 winner of the Saints Community Quarterback Award. This annual award given by the Saints and NFL Charities as part of a national volunteer recognition program that has donated over $1 million to community organizations served by outstanding volunteers in NFL cities. Individuals exhibiting leadership, dedication and commitment to improving their community are qualified candidates for the award, which goes to the agency the recipient represents.

Mr. Falcon will receive a grant for $10,000 to Café Hope. Café Hope is a fully functioning restaurant located on the westbank of Jefferson Parish that trains at-risk youth in job and life skills, providing the environment to help them gain self-confidence through mentorship and self-sufficiency by helping place them in jobs in the local community.

The Saints will award an additional $10,000 in grant monies to runners-up for the award. Each of the following runners-up will receive a grant in their name for the non-profit organization they represent:

$2,500 Grant Recipients:
Jonathan Koeppel – White Dove Fellowship
Patrick Scherer – Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana

$1,000 Grant Recipients:
Bo Debetaz- Baton Rouge Athletic Initiative Network
Jeanne Michel – Louisiana SPCA
Raphael "Iray" Nabatoff – Community Center of St. Bernard
Katherine Prevost – Bunnyfriend Neighborhood Association
Willie Reeves – Lexington Colts Youth Sports, Inc

"We are proud to annually recognize outstanding volunteer citizens in our community," said Saints Owner/ Executive Vice President Rita Benson LeBlanc. "These organizations provide care, services and hope to people in need from all walks of life. This year's committee selected several inspirational recipients who, along with their representative organizations, are essential to building a stronger, healthier and more united community."

Individuals age 13 and over who provide volunteer services for nonprofit organizations were eligible for participation. Participants must have served in a volunteer capacity at an official 501(c)3 organization and should not receive compensation for their services.

All grant award winners will be recognized during a ceremony held at the Superdome prior to the Saints' Dec. 27th contest vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Grant checks will be distributed to the non-profit organizations represented by these volunteers.