Professional video game player raises $1 million to support Save the Children in the Horn Of Africa
Athene raises funds on behalf of DC Entertainment?s We Can Be Heroes giving campaign
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WESTPORT, Conn. (June 25, 2012) ? The online gaming community led by Athene ? one of the world?s top professional gamers ? announced this week that they raised $1 million for Save the Children?s work helping children affected by hunger in the Horn of Africa. Athene?s efforts were made possible by a generous matching donation by DC Entertainment as part of We Can Be Heroes, a giving campaign that is focused on fighting the hunger crisis in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia.
?On behalf of the children who have been served, we are immensely grateful to Athene and his gaming community for their heroic fundraising efforts and to DC Entertainment for their generous match? stated Carolyn Miles, President and CEO of Save the Children. ?DC Entertainment is a force for good in the world.?
Athene, who is known in the video game community as the first player to reach level 85 in World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, broadcast hitting the $1 million mark via video stream on his website www.athenelive.com. On June 17th, he also announced the achievement live on stage at DreamHack ?the world?s largest digital gaming festival ? in J?nk?ping, Sweden.
Athene said on stage: ?I don?t see myself as a celebrity. I am just a gamer who got the opportunity to be a voice. People say that gamers don?t have a life. This project ? is writing Internet history. We?re not slacktivists. We are the generation that is going to end poverty.?
On March 25, Athene began the fundraiser for Save the Children. During his 85-day effort, during which he fasted for two weeks to raise awareness and support, more than 20,000 donations came in and some 2,000 individuals raised money for the cause. A matching contribution came from DC Entertainment?s We Can Be Heroes giving campaign which supports the needs of the people affected by the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa.
The $1 million donation is part of a growing trend among video game enthusiasts called ?gaming for good.? Athene and Save the Children broke new ground by streaming live video from Dadaab Refugee camp in Kenya. Gamers could see in real time the refugees their donations were helping. Donors interacted with the children via a moderated video chat while being acknowledged for their donations in real-time.
?This epic ?gaming for good? event represents the future of philanthropy with the convergence of social media technologies, gaming and philanthropy in a true triangulation of innovation,? said Ettore Rossetti, Director of Internet Marketing & Social Media for Save the Children.
Save the Children has reached almost 3.5 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia since April 2011. The organization?s programs focus on education, nutrition, health and child protection. Save the Children has reunited children with family members, delivered water to communities and fed malnourished children.
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Media Assets:
Thank You Video by Save the Children: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnIovseimdI
We Can Be Heroes Campaign Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xC0y8DVT24M
Athene?s Video of Hitting $1 Million Milestone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1W7oJZerJU
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About We Can Be Heroes:
We Can Be Heroes (www.WeCanBeHeroes.org) is a giving campaign designed to raise awareness and funds for the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa. Using the iconic Justice League characters from DC Entertainment, We Can Be Heroes aims to raise substantial funds for three humanitarian aid organizations working in Africa: Save the Children, International Rescue Committee, and Mercy Corps. DC Entertainment will match donations up to $1 million in total donations, and 50% of the purchase price from We Can Be Heroes products will go directly to saving lives. Learn more, donate and get involved at www.WeCanBeHeroes.org.
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About DC Entertainment:
DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands, DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating its content across Warner Bros. Entertainment and Time Warner. DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world. In January 2012, DC launched We Can Be Heroes ? a giving campaign featuring iconic Justice League super heroes ? to raise awareness and funds to fight the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa.
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About Save the Children.
Save the Children is the leading, independent organization that creates lasting change for children in need in the United States and around the world. Follow Save the Children on Twitter, Facebook and at SavetheChildren.org.
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About Athene
Athene is one of the world?s most famous record-breaking professional gamers. He holds several gaming world records including the first player to reach level 85 in World of Warcraft: Cataclysm and several records in Diablo 3 and livecasts daily at Athenelive.com. Note: Content is rated teen.
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Media Contacts:
Lane Hartill
lhartill@savechildren.org
(M) 202-640-6608
(W) 202-294-9700
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Ettore Rossetti
erossetti@savechildren.org
(M) 203-919-2215
(W) 203-221-4105
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For We Can Be Heroes:
Nicole Stipp
nstipp@fenton.com
212-584-5000
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For Athene:
Reese Leysen
reese@movielol.org
skype: reese015
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