FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Run-D.M.C. Founder Darryl McDaniels Inspires Teens at Guidance Center Event
Roslyn Heights, NY, March 13, 2017 — North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center’s Leeds Place was hip hop heaven last Thursday as Darryl McDaniels, the founder of Run-D.M.C., inspired a roomful of teens and adults with his stories of personal adversity and ultimate triumph.
“Darryl is a hip hop pioneer, a rap poet and an inspiring prophet,” said Andrew Malekoff, Executive Director of the Guidance Center. “The packed house got to experience all the sides of this remarkable man in a two-hour tour-de-force in which he taught us about the history of hip hop, delighted us performing rap, and moved us with intimate stories of resiliency. The audience gave him a standing ovation, which he richly deserved.”
Darryl McDaniels with Guidance Center Executive Director Andrew Malekoff
In his talk, McDaniels encouraged the young people in the audience with the transcendent and core messages of hip hop: “Always be open to doing something different. It could change your life.”
McDaniels shared not only the story of his rise to fame and fortune but his personal struggles, which included a battle with severe depression and substance abuse. “I’m no better than anyone of you sitting here,” he said. “No matter what you are battling, you can beat it. And no matter what your passion is, be it music or art or science or law or medicine, go for your dreams. Everything needed to change the world is inside you. Education is your deliverance!”
“I truly believe that Darryl’s honest, uplifting talk has changed the lives of the young people in the audience,” said Malekoff. “He spoke from the heart, and his message came across loud and clear as he told the teens ‘Anything you can dream, you can do!’”
About Us:
As the pre-eminent not-for-profit children’s mental health agency on Long Island, North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center is dedicated to restoring and strengthening the emotional well-being of children (from birth – age 24) and their families. Our highly trained staff of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, vocational rehabilitation counselors and other mental health professionals lead the way in diagnosis, treatment, prevention, training, parent education, research and advocacy. The Guidance Center helps children and families address issues such as depression and anxiety; developmental delays; bullying; teen pregnancy; sexual abuse; teen drug and alcohol abuse; and family crises stemming from illness, death, trauma and divorce. For more than 60 years, the Guidance Center has been a place of hope and healing, providing innovative and compassionate treatment to all who enter our doors, regardless of their ability to pay. For more information about the Guidance Center, visit www.northshorechildguidance.org or call (516) 626-1971.
