StubHub, the world’s largest ticket marketplace, today announced the
launch of StubHub
Rising Stars, an international philanthropic program to spotlight
outstanding grassroots nonprofit organizations improving access and
opportunity for at-risk youth through sports and the arts.
The inaugural Rising Star award and initial $50,000 grant has been
presented to The Roots of Music Foundation, a nonprofit organization
whose mission is to support, teach, and protect at-risk youth through
music education, academic support, and mentorship while preserving and
promoting New Orleans’ musical heritage. As StubHub’s first Rising Star,
The Roots of Music will receive up to $100,000 in funding support this
year.
“Imagine if the next LeBron, Michael Oher or Beyoncé never had the
opportunity to pick up a basketball, football or instrument as a child,”
said Chris Tsakalakis, StubHub CEO. “Yet vital community music, theater
and sports programs for youth are falling on the chopping block today.
That is why Rising Stars will focus StubHub’s philanthropy where we see
the greatest need: underserved, at-risk youth and locally rooted,
grassroots nonprofits.”
To showcase the work of Roots of Music, StubHub
has created a documentary short “The Roots of Music” (http://bit.ly/StubHubRising-Stars),
produced in collaboration with cast and crew members of the critically
acclaimed HBO series “Treme.” In an effort to engage fans in new and
unexpected ways, StubHub has committed to donate up to an additional
$50,000 (adding up to a $100,000 total donation) to The Roots of Music
if the film reaches 50,000 views by Super Bowl Sunday. The additional
$50,000 in funds would come from the StubHub Foundation, a corporate
advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
“We are extremely honored and appreciative to be selected as a StubHub
Rising Star,” said Allison Reinhardt, co-founder of The Roots of Music
Foundation. “StubHub and its Foundation’s support will literally help us
keep our doors open, offering academic mentoring and musical education
to 140 kids – keeping them safe and off the streets while fostering the
future musical talent of New Orleans.”
Funding support through StubHub and the StubHub Foundation to The Roots
of Music represents the largest single donation in the organization’s
history. In addition, the StubHub Foundation also recognizes New
Orleans’ Youth Empowerment Project through grant funding of $25,000 to
support expansion of its sports and recreational programming for inner
city youth.
The Rising Stars award is designed to have a transformative impact on
both the awardees and the youth they serve. Benefits of selection into
the Rising Stars program include grant support (starting at $25,000)
from the StubHub Foundation, exposure to StubHub’s international network
of sports, music and theater fans, and access to StubHub employee talent
through skills-based volunteerism and dedicated service projects.
Awardees will be identified throughout the year in key markets in which
StubHub operates in North America and Europe.
StubHub is the world's largest ticket marketplace, enabling fans to buy
and sell tickets to tens of thousands of sports, concert, theater and
other live entertainment events. StubHub reinvented the ticket resale
market in 2000 and continues to lead it through innovation. The
company's unique online marketplace, dedicated solely to tickets,
provides all fans the choice to buy or sell their tickets in a safe,
convenient and highly reliable environment. All transactions are
processed and delivered by StubHub and backed by the company's
FanProtect Guarantee". Company partners include the San Francisco Giants
and University of Texas, along with over 60 teams in the NFL, MLB, NBA,
NHL and NCAA, complemented with companies such as ESPN, Tickets.com, and
Paciolan. StubHub is an eBay company (NASDAQ: EBAY). For more
information on StubHub, visit www.stubhub.com,
www.twitter.com/stubhub
or www.facebook.com/stubhub.
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