“I’m going up. Are you going up? Let’s go up together.” Those aren’t lines from the Left Behind apocalypse books, but slogans aimed at luring junior and senior high school students to a program launched here today called Dallas Elevators Powered by Coca-Cola. Sponsored by Dr Pepper–just kidding; Coca-Cola’s the key player, together with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas–the “groundbreaking” initiative will encourage students to elevate their skills (get it?) in everything from leadership and academics to the arts and recreation. Helping them do it will be “role models” like Dallas Mavericks president Terdema Ussery, radio personality Victoria Snee and Mike Modano of the Dallas Stars (shown here, at right, in a Tony Valadez photo with Coca-Cola’s Ben Lawson). For example, Modano says, some lucky kid will get to follow him around on game day or during practice, then “hang out with the guys” in the locker room. Where, presumably, everybody will be drinking a Coke.
