Infiniti Donates $1,049,000 to Winners of Coaches Charity Challenge and Bracket Challenge

FRANKLIN, Tenn., April 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Infiniti donated $1,049,000 as part of the brand's ongoing corporate partnership with NCAA® Division I Men's Basketball and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). Allyson Witherspoon, Director Marketing Communications and Media, Infiniti USA, presented the checks to the winners during the celebration that took place at Infiniti's Americas Headquarters in Tennessee.

For the third year in a row, Coach Thad Matta and the Ohio State Buckeye fans claimed victory in the annual Infiniti Coaches' Charity Challenge. Coach Matta's charity, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio, was presented with a check for $100,000. Additionally $229,000 was donated to various philanthropic organizations that were individually selected by the other NABC coaches in the Coaches' Charity Challenge.

"We're honored to continue our support of the Coaches' Charity Challenge, the NABC and the American Cancer Society through Coaches vs. Cancer," said Witherspoon. "Coach Matta did a tremendous job to rally the Ohio State Buckeye fans and we're proud to make this contribution to the Ronald McDonald House for the third year in a row."

Now in its fourth year, Infiniti continued its support of the NABC with a donation of $720,000 to Coaches vs. Cancer, a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the NABC. As the largest corporate donator for Coaches vs. Cancer, Infiniti pledged to make a charitable contribution to the program each time a fan participated in the Infiniti sponsored Coaches vs. Cancer Round by Round bracket game during March Madness.

Other distinguished guests at this year's celebration included Fran McCaffery, Head Coach, Men's Basketball, University of Iowa; Reggie Minton, Executive Deputy Director, National Association of Basketball Coaches; and Matt Wolfert, Director of Corporate Sponsorships, NCAA.

About Infiniti:

Infiniti Motor Company Ltd. is headquartered in Hong Kong with sales operations in approximately 50 countries. The Infiniti brand was launched in 1989. Its range of premium automobiles is currently built in manufacturing facilities in Japan and the United States. Production in China and Europe will start soon along with the expansion of the brand's portfolio.

As the Title Partner and Vehicle Performance Partner of Infiniti Red Bull Racing, Infiniti has a far-reaching technical collaboration with the Formula One team, and Sebastian Vettel, its four-time World Champion driver, serves as Infiniti's Director of Performance.

More information about Infiniti, its Total Ownership Experience® and its industry leading technologies can be found at www.infinitiusa.com. For the latest news on Infiniti, visit www.infinitinews.com, "like" Infiniti on Facebook or follow the brand on Twitter @InfinitiUSA.

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.

About Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio:

When a child is hospitalized, the healing power of having family nearby is beyond measure. It is this heartfelt purpose that both drives and defines the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio. The Columbus Ronald McDonald House is located directly across the street from Nationwide Children's Hospital and serves the needs of families with seriously ill children receiving treatment in the hospital. Open 365 days a year, the Ronald McDonald House offers comfortable bedrooms with private baths, continuing care suites for recovering transplant patients, fully equipped kitchens and dining areas, play rooms, laundry facilities, a meditation room, exercise room and informal gathering areas. It is a home-away-from-home for families in their greatest time of need. From the visionary beginnings of the first Ronald McDonald House on 18th street, to the House at 711 Livingston Ave, RMHC has grown with the Columbus community and its needs. The House has the capacity to be a home-away-from-home for eighty families every night, making it the second largest Ronald McDonald House in the U.S. Each year, RMHC provides 20,000 nights at the House for over 3,000 families. www.RMHC-CentralOhio.org

About Coaches vs. Cancer:

Coaches vs. Cancer is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) that empowers basketball coaches, their teams, and local communities to make a difference in the fight against cancer. The program leverages the personal experiences, community leadership, and professional excellence of basketball coaches nationwide to increase cancer awareness and promote healthy living through year-round awareness efforts, fundraising activities, and advocacy programs. Since 1993, the initiative has raised more than $80 million dollars to fund groundbreaking research, provide up-to-date cancer literacy, advocate for public health policies and deliver services to improve the quality of life for patients and their families. To learn more, visit www.coachesvscancer.org

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140424/78253
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080506/INFINITIBADGELOGO

SOURCE Infiniti