WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced the launch of Superstars for Hope, a fundraising campaign on Indiegogo, the world’s largest crowdfunding platform, to benefit Special Olympics and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford in honor of Connor’s Cure. The announcement was made exclusively on Twitter by WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan and WWE Superstar John Cena. To kick off Superstars for Hope, WWE and the San Francisco 49ers Foundation have each donated $25,000, the first in a series of community outreach initiatives in celebration of WrestleMania 31 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on Sunday, March 29.
Beginning today, supporters can donate at SuperstarsforHope.com and receive unique WWE merchandise, autographs, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences from WWE Superstars, Divas and Legends. Each week, WWE will add new exclusive experiences to the campaign, including:
· A tour of WWE’s state-of-the-art Performance Center in Orlando, Florida
· Backstage access to Monday Night Raw or SmackDown
· VIP package to WWE pay-per-view events
· Lunch with WWE Superstar Triple H® at the WWE Performance Center
· WWE World Heavyweight Championship title signed by WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon and Triple H
· An ultimate WrestleMania 32 package
· Lunch with the cast of the hit E! reality show Total Divas
“WWE’s support of Special Olympics gives us a unique platform from which to reach, educate and welcome countless new fans and athletes to our movement,” said Janet Froetscher, CEO, Special Olympics. “The important work we do around the world to create communities of acceptance and respect for all will only be successful when the world heeds our call to Play Unified in order to Live Unified."
“Every day at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, our doctors, staff, and researchers strive to ensure the best possible care for children with cancer,” said Christopher G. Dawes, president and CEO of Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford. “WWE has been a strong advocate of pediatric cancer research and we're pleased to support the important mission of Connor’s Cure.”
"WWE is dedicated to using the power of our brand to give back to the community in as many ways as we can," said Stephanie McMahon, WWE Chief Brand Officer. "I am proud that this year’s Superstars for Hope campaign will support two worthwhile causes, Special Olympics celebrating acceptance and inclusion, and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford in honor of Connor’s Cure in an effort to find a cure for pediatric cancer.”
“The 49ers Foundation is proud to be partnering with WWE to further our commitment to making an impact on and off the field,” said John York, Chairman/Co-Owner of the San Francisco 49ers. “Special Olympics and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford provide much needed resources for superstars in our community – athletes with intellectual disabilities and children fighting life-threatening and life-limiting illness. It is an honor to join with WWE to support them through the Superstars for Hope campaign.”
In support of Superstars for Hope, celebrities and athletes are serving as official social media ambassadors to help raise funds and awareness. Ambassadors include San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, journalist Joan Lunden, journalist and Yahoo! global news anchor Katie Couric, multi-platinum recording artist and actress Jordin Sparks and actor Kellan Lutz.
Fans can click here now through Tuesday, March 31 to participate and use the hashtag #STARS4HOPE when donating.
About Special Olympics
Special Olympics is a global movement that unleashes the human spirit through the transformative power and joy of sports, every day around the world. We empower people with intellectual disabilities to become accepted and valued members of their communities, which leads to a more respectful and inclusive society for all. Using sports as the catalyst and programming around health and education, Special Olympics is fighting inactivity, injustice and intolerance. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics movement has grown to more than 4.4 million athletes in 170 countries. With the support of more than 1.3 million coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics delivers 32 Olympic-type sports and more than 81,000 games and competitions throughout the year. Special Olympics is supported by individuals, foundations and partners, including the Christmas Records Trust, the Law Enforcement Torch Run® for Special Olympics, The Coca-Cola Company, The Walt Disney Company and ESPN, Lions Clubs International, Mattel, Microsoft, P&G, Bank of America, Essilor Vision Foundation, the B. Thomas Golisano Foundation, Finish Line, The Safeway Foundation, and Safilo Group. Visit Special Olympics at www.specialolympics.org. Engage with us on: Twitter @specialolympics; fb.com/specialolympics; youtube.com/specialolympicshq, instagram.com/specialolymics and specialolympicsblog.wordpress.com.
About Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford
Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford is the heart of Stanford Children’s Health, and is one of the nation’s top hospitals for the care of children and expectant mothers. For a decade, we have received the highest specialty rankings of any Northern California children’s hospital, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2014-15 Best Children’s Hospitals survey, and are the only hospital in Northern California to receive the national 2013 Leapfrog Group Top Children’s Hospital award for quality and patient care safety. Discover more at stanfordchildrens.org.
About WWE
WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming reaches more than 650 million homes worldwide in 35 languages. WWE Network, the first-ever 24/7 over-the-top premium network that includes all 12 live pay-per-views, scheduled programming and a massive video-on-demand library, is currently available in more than 170 countries. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai, Munich and Tokyo.
Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.
About Indiegogo
Indiegogo empowers people around the world to fund what matters to them. As the largest global crowdfunding platform, campaigns have launched from almost every country around the world with millions of dollars being distributed every week due to contributions made by the Indiegogo community. Indiegogo is the equal opportunity platform dedicated to democratizing the way people raise funds for any project – creative, entrepreneurial or cause-related. The company was launched in 2008 and is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in Los Angeles and New York. For more information, visit www.indiegogo.com and follow us at www.twitter.com/indiegogo and www.facebook.com/indiegogo.
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