CBS EcoMedia Launches Charity Champions League, First-of-Its-Kind Online "Social Good Competition"

Usain Bolt, Christina Grimmie, Nancy O'Dell, Cal Ripken, Jr. and Mark Teixeira Among Entertainment, Digital and Sports Personalities To Serve as Team Captains

Competition Will Award Over Half-a-Million Dollars to 11 Nonprofit Organizations and Is Free to Play

Prize Money Provided by Toyota Dealers, ServiceMaster and Chevy Dealers, Among Others

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CBS EcoMedia

Jun 01, 2016, 12:31 ET

NEW YORK, June 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- CBS EcoMedia today announced it has joined forces with notable entertainment, digital and sports personalities and leading brands to launch Charity Champions League, an online "giving competition" that will benefit some of the nation's most effective nonprofit organizations. The first-of-its-kind digital giving platform was designed to give millions of Americans the opportunity to support the social causes that most inspire them—without making a personal monetary donation.

CBS EcoMedia Launches Charity Champions League, First-of-Its-Kind Online "Social Good Competition"; Usain Bolt, Christina Grimmie, Nancy O'Dell, Cal Ripken, Jr. and Mark Teixeira Among Entertainment, Digital and Sports Personalities To Serve as Team Captains; Competition Will Award Over Half-a-Million Dollars to 11 Nonprofit Organizations and Is Free to Play; Prize Money Provided by Toyota Dealers, ServiceMaster and Chevy Dealers, Among Others

Charity Champions League kicks off at 12:00 PM, ET today and continues through 3:00 PM, ET on June 15. During that time, participants will have the option of joining one of 11 teams, each headed by a celebrity captain and supporting a different nonprofit organization: Usain Bolt/After-School All-Stars; Nika Erculj/The Trevor Project; Kevin Frazier/School on Wheels; Christina Grimmie/The Humane Society of the United States; Weylie Hoang/ASPCA; Phil Keoghan/National Multiple Sclerosis Society; Stephanie May & Matilda Donovan/Ronald McDonald House Charities; Jerod Mayo/Boston Medical Center; Nancy O'Dell/ALS.net; Cal Ripken, Jr./Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation; and Mark Teixeira/Harlem RBI.

Charity Champions League is free to play. Those interested in participating can sign up at charitychampionsleague.com and score "points" for the nonprofit team of their choice by reading, watching and sharing inspiring content on the Charity Champions League website and recruiting others to join their team. When the competition ends on June 15, each nonprofit will receive funding based upon where they finish. The nonprofit with the highest total score will receive the grand prize of $250,000. The competition will award over a half-a-million dollars overall with the prize money provided through generous contributions from Local Toyota Dealers, ServiceMaster, Tri-State Chevy Dealers, Winthrop University Hospital and Jerome's Furniture.

"I'm very proud of what we've been able to accomplish with Charity Champions League," said Paul Polizzotto, Founder and President of CBS EcoMedia. "Just by reading, watching and sharing stories that matter, we can all support the causes we care about without making a monetary donation. It's story, empathy and action in real time, and it represents the democratization of philanthropy. Now, there's no barrier to one's ability to give; all it takes to make a positive difference is a sense of empathy."

Cal Ripken, Jr. added, "We joined the Charity Champions League because it was a terrific opportunity for the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation and many other non-profit organizations. Like other nonprofits, it is challenging for us to raise awareness and funds to support the work that the Foundation does for underserved kids across the country. Charity Champions League offers a unique way for nonprofits to accomplish these goals."

Christina Grimmie commented, "Because of the work I do, I'm very fortunate to have a platform to support the causes and nonprofits I care about, like The Humane Society of the United States. What I love about Charity Champions League is that it gives everyone the chance to give back, including young people of my generation who might not have the money or know, on their own, how to get involved. I'm really excited to be playing, and I hope everyone will join me!"

Charity Champions League is the latest program from EcoMedia, the mission of which is to transform the power of the advertising dollar into tangible social change. The company's unique business model gives brands the opportunity to direct a portion of their advertising budgets to EcoMedia's nonprofit partners, helping to fund a variety of critical environmental, health and wellness, education, and veterans' programs without adding to their advertising spend.

About CBS EcoMedia Inc.:

EcoMedia was founded in 2001 by social entrepreneur Paul Polizzotto. The company's mission is to harness the power of the advertising dollar to make tangible, quality of life improvements in communities nationwide. In 2010, after successfully partnering on a wide range of environmental projects, EcoMedia was acquired by CBS Corporation, exponentially scaling its reach across television, radio, interactive, and publishing media.

Through EcoMedia's patent-pending EcoAd, EducationAd, WellnessAd, Viewers to Volunteers, Volunteering with the Stars, and Charity Champions League advertising programs, national brands and local businesses provide millions of dollars in financial support to some of the nation's most effective nonprofit organizations, funding critical veterans', education, health and wellness, and environmental projects nationwide.

EcoMedia's innovative and proprietary business models have fundamentally altered the advertising and philanthropy landscapes, elevating the ordinary, traditional commercial – and media, in general – into a catalyst for tangible, quantifiable social change and making it possible for everyone to give back, whatever their means.

Paul Polizzotto and the team at EcoMedia have earned numerous awards and recognitions for their work, including the US Conference of Mayors Award for Excellence in Public Private Partnerships (2009) and back-to-back Edison Awards for Social Innovation and Social Impact (2012, 2013).

In Spring 2016, Paul was named Social Good Leader of the Year by CynopsisMedia, recognized as one of "America's 25 most influential philanthropy and social innovation experts" by Philanthropy Media. He has received the Starlight Children's Foundation's "General H. Norman Schwarzkopf Leadership Award," the EPA's "Environmental Hero" recognition, the Santa Monica Baykeeper's and the Waterkeeper Alliance's "Keeper Award," and the Coastal Living Leadership Award. He was also named a Public-Private Visionary by Vanity Fair magazine.

EcoMedia Website: ecomediacbs.com

EcoMedia Facebook: EcoMediaCBS

EcoMedia Twitter: @EcoMediaCBS

Charity Champions League Website: charitychampionsleague.com

V2V Facebook: Viewers To Volunteers

V2V Twitter: @V2V

Participating Talent On Facebook:

Usain Bolt: Usain Bolt

Nika Erculj: Nika Erculj

Kevin Frazier: Kevin Frazier

Christina Grimmie: Christina Grimmie

Weylie Hoang: Ilikeweylie