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Leaders of major national governmental organizations -- representing the nation's governors, mayors, county executives and city leaders -- will join U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert M. Groves to announce their support of the 2010 Census “Take 10” challenge. The organizations are calling on members to inspire their communities to achieve a higher census mail participation rate than they achieved during the 2000 Census. Nationally, 72 percent of households that received a form in 2000 mailed it back. Every 1 percent improvement in the 2010 rate is expected to save taxpayers about $85 million. The Census Bureau has created a set of innovative tools that communities can use to monitor and motivate 2010 Census mail participation, including an online interactive daily rate map, easy-to-imbed local rate widgets, an online toolkit and social media applications.

The U.S. Census Bureau is asking all of America to “Take 10” to take 10 minutes to answer 10 questions and mail back their 2010 Census forms when they arrive in mailboxes March 15-17.

Wednesday, March 10, 11 a.m. (EST)

Robert M. Groves, director, U.S. Census Bureau
Don Borut, executive director, National League of Cities
Jackie Byers, director, research and outreach, National Association of Counties
Elizabeth K. Kellar, deputy executive director, International City/County
    Management Association

National League of Cities
1301 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 550
Washington, D.C. 20004

Dial-in number: 877-317-1966
Passcode: 61225308

Download the “Take 10” toolkit with templates and suggestions for implementing the “Take 10” challenge locally, and check out your community's 2000 mail-back participation rate at http://2010.census.gov/2010census/take10map/. Daily 2010 rate updates will be posted beginning March 22.