Four Coaches Compete for $100,000 Donation in "Infiniti Coaches' Charity Challenge"

FRANKLIN, Tenn., Feb. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --  Infiniti has announced that four coaches have advanced from their regional match-ups and moved into the final round of the 2012 Infiniti Coaches' Charity Challenge.  They now compete for the grand prize of a $100,000 donation to the winning coach's designated charity. 

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"It certainly looks like 'Inspiration is Contagious,' as evidenced by the 200,000 plus fans that voted in the first round alone – more than four times the votes received for the entire program a year ago," said Infiniti Americas Vice President Ben Poore.

The addition of the final round is new to this year's challenge, providing another level of fan involvement and excitement.  With a clean slate, fans will now determine the ultimate winner by registering and voting during the next two weeks on www.ESPN.com/Infiniti.  Fans can vote for their favorite coach daily.  The winning coach will be announced March 9, 2012. 

The four coaches participating in the final round, all members of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, and their charities are: Bob Huggins, University of West Virginia, Norma Mae Huggins Cancer Research Endowment Fund; Dave Rose, Brigham Young University, Children with Cancer Christmas Foundation; Frank Haith, University of Missouri, Boys & Girls Club – Columbia, MO; and Thad Matta, Ohio State University, Ronald McDonald House – Columbus, OH.  All coaches are guaranteed at least $5,000 from Infiniti, including the coaches eliminated in the first round.

"Infiniti would like to congratulate all 48 coaches that participated in this year's Charity Challenge – every one is a winner in supporting their individual charities," said Poore.  "But like the basketball season, now it's time for the playoffs.  We wish Coaches Huggins, Rose, Haith and Matta the best of luck and congratulate their fans for voting them into the final round."

About Infiniti

Infiniti offers a full-line of luxury performance automobiles, including the G Coupe, Sedan and Convertible, Infiniti M sedan, EX and FX crossovers, and the QX full-size SUV.  More information about Infiniti and its Total Ownership Experience® can be found at www.InfinitiUSA.com.

About NCAA

The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 400,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities.  Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports.  Visit www.ncaa.org and www.ncaa.com for more details about the Association, its goals and members and corporate partnerships that help support programs for student-athletes.  [NCAA, Final Four and March Madness are trademarks owned or licensed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.]

About the National Association of Basketball Coaches

Located in Kansas City, Missouri, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Forrest "Phog" Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas.  Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC currently has nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men's basketball coaches. All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today's student-athletes. The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education. Additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, can be found at www.nabc.org.

SOURCE Infiniti