Julie Foudy and the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy Invites America to Select Winners for Inaugural "Choose to Matter" Contest

Four Young Women to Join Julie Foudy and McDonald's at London 2012 Olympic Games as Youth Ambassadors for McDonald's Champions of Play Program

Voting Opens Today – February 1, National Girls & Women in Sports Day

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., Feb. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Since 2006, Julie Foudy has been teaching girls to be leaders not only on the field, but in life through The Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy (JFSLA). Today, Foudy is excited to announce that voting is open for the first JFSLA Choose to Matter Contest. JFSLA and the new Choose to Matter initiative empower young female athletes to confidently choose to make a difference in the lives and communities around them. The innovative contest celebrates young women who are passionate leaders and change makers in their communities.

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Participants from the three JFSLA academies and partner organization, Girl Talk, were invited to create and implement community service leadership projects during 2011 and enter their projects online on the Choose to Matter Contest website. Starting today, America will vote on these projects and select four young women to experience an opportunity of a lifetime—an all-expense paid trip to the London 2012 Olympic Games to join McDonald's as Youth Ambassadors for McDonald's Champions of Play program.  The Contest is made possible, in part, due to the generosity of McDonald's and The Century Council. Second and third place prizes include sports apparel and more information can be found at contest.juliefoudyleadership.com.

"We created the Choose to Matter contest, like the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy, with one idea in mind: we believe sports give girls the tools to unlock their potential for greatness, both on the field and in life," said Julie Foudy, former Captain and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team. "Through sports, girls build self-confidence, and they hone problem solving skills—both key attributes of strong leaders. We've opened the vote today— National Girls and Women in Sports Day—because we know one girl can make a positive difference. These wonderful projects prove we all can make a difference. I am so proud of these young women for taking the initiative to create a positive change in their communities, and I invite America to choose to matter by voting today!"

Watch a video message from Julie

Girls Making a Difference

At the end of last year, participants from the 2011 JFSLA programs and girls from JFSLA partner program, Girl Talk, developed and implemented community service leadership projects in their communities and entered them online for the Choose to Matter Contest. All applicants drew upon causes they are passionate about to create projects that include fighting breast cancer, anti-bullying rallies, scoring hunger ending goals, disaster relief, and other incredible causes. This year's inaugural contest features projects developed by girls from around the country—as well as projects submitted by girls from the poorest areas of Mumbai, India, who were participants of the JFSLA program through the organization Magic Bus. Magic Bus is the first nonprofit in India to deliver high-impact programs using a sport-based curriculum for community development. To see the full line-up of more than 70 projects entered in the contest, visit contest.juliefoudyleadership.com/projects.  

Online voting opens today, February 1, 2012 and runs through February 21, 2012. The public can vote for their favorite project in four different categories: three JFSLA locations (California, Illinois and New Jersey) and the Girl Talk category. The project with the most votes per category will win the package to London. JFSLA will unveil the four winners on March 6, 2012.  Additional prizes include a $500 and $250 sports apparel shopping spree. Please visit contest.juliefoudyleadership.com for more information.

Choose to Matter and VOTE!

America can get involved and support our future young leaders by voting for the young woman they think should join Julie and McDonald's in London. To vote, visit the Choose to Matter Contest website at contest.juliefoudyleadership.com, and cast your vote for your favorite project from each of the four categories!  On March 6, the four young women (one from each category) whose projects garner the most votes will each receive an all-expense paid trip to the London 2012 Olympic Games—and will also become junior leaders for the McDonald's Champions of Play program. 

Choose to Matter by Spreading the News

JFSLA offers Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other ways to help rally support for these incredible young women and their projects. Become a fan of the Choose to Matter Contest as well as "Like" your favorite project on Facebook. Join the conversation by tweeting about the projects, and get the latest on the girls and the contest from Julie Foudy on the JFSLA website and YouTube.

About McDonald's Champions of Play Program

McDonald's recently renewed its Worldwide Sponsorship of the Olympic Games and pledged its commitment to champion generations of happy, active kids.  The company is launching the McDonald's Champions of Play program, which focuses on balanced eating and fun play and will bring kids from around the world together for a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Up to 200 children and their guardians will be selected to see the Games first-hand, and have the exclusive privilege of playing with athletes at the Olympic venues. Children are recruited through grassroots programs that will kick-off over the next few months.  The program features a Champions of Play website where Olympic athletes will inspire kids to get active and track their physical activities online through a series of engaging challenges.  In addition, special Happy Meal packaging and in-restaurant materials, such as Champions of Play Playbooks and Fun Times Magazine, will include information and tips to encourage balanced eating and fun play. McDonald's long-standing support of sports initiatives for kids extends beyond the 17 days of the Games to include programs that promote physical activity at the local, national and global levels through partnerships with thousands of sporting associations. 

About Julie Foudy and The Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy

Foudy's soccer laurels date back to her time as a Stanford student-athlete, where she was named a four-time All-American and Soccer America Player of the Year in 1991. During her 18-year career as a midfielder for the U.S. national team, the U.S. women won two FIFA World Cup Titles (1991, 1999) and two Olympic gold medals (1996, 2004). Foudy, the former captain, was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in August 2007. Since her retirement in 2004, Foudy has remained close to the sport as the lead television voice for ESPN and ESPN2's coverage of the quadrennial FIFA Women's World Cups. In 2006, Julie Foudy launched the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy for girls ages 12-18. The aim of the JFSLA is to expose students to Julie's great passion: the concept of not just being a leader on the field but a leader in life.

For more information about the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy, visit http://www.juliefoudyleadership.com. Follow us on Facebook at "Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy" and Twitter, @JulieFoudy.

Editor's Note:  Digital images are available; Interviews upon request.

Media Contacts:
JFSLA: Jennifer Hwang and Dana Young, [email protected], 415-420-3259, 415-378-7998

McDonald's: Melissa Daly, [email protected], 630-623-8653

The Century Council: Leslie Kimball, [email protected], 202-637-0077

GirlTalk: Jennifer Grizzle, [email protected], 770-409-1152, www.desiretoinspire.org

SOURCE The Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy