Call of Duty Endowment Announces $250,000 Grant to Benefit National Chamber Foundation's 'Hiring our Heroes' Veteran Employment Program
WASHINGTON, Nov. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In an effort to ensure our military heroes have stable employment upon their return from active duty, Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), and publisher of the best-selling Call of Duty® video game franchise, announced on Veterans Day that it will donate $3 million to the Call of Duty Endowment, a non-profit, public benefit corporation that seeks to provide job placement and training for veterans.
The Call of Duty Endowment was conceived by Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, in November of 2009 in an effort to raise awareness for veterans' unemployment. Since that time, the Endowment has provided more than $1.5 million in grants and scholarships to many organizations and colleges throughout the United States. These funds have contributed to more than 700 veteran jobs, more than 2,500 veterans receiving job training, and more than 30 receiving scholarships.
"The fact that over 20 percent of our nation's youngest veterans are unemployed is unacceptable," said Kotick. "These are the very same men and women who put their lives on the line to guarantee our freedom and security. Veterans Day is a time to reflect and renew our commitment to ensure our military heroes have the tools to reintegrate successfully back to civilian life. The Call of Duty Endowment is dedicated to the mission of bringing attention to veterans' unemployment and finding a solution to this serious issue. We hope that other businesses and organizations will join us."
Separately, the Call of Duty Endowment today announced that it is providing a $250,000 grant to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's National Chamber Foundation. The grant will support the Chamber's Hiring our Heroes program and allow the National Chamber Foundation to host hiring fairs in 25 cities nationwide in 2012, which is expected to result in at least 3,500 jobs for veterans.
"The National Chamber Foundation is committed to the issue of helping veterans find meaningful employment," said Kevin Schmiegel, Vice President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Veterans Employment Program. "Since we launched the Hiring our Heroes program in March of 2011, the Chamber has conducted 63 hiring fairs and connected over 55,000 veterans and military spouses with over 2,500 different employers in 37 states. To date, more than 3,400 veterans and spouses are employed as a result. The grant from the Call of Duty Endowment will allow us to greatly expand our efforts in 2012—we thank them for their support."
The National Chamber Foundation grant is part of $500,000 in grants made by the Call of Duty Endowment in the fall of 2011. Other beneficiary organizations include Still Serving Veterans (SSV), Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) and Business and Professional Women's Foundation (BPWF).
About the Call of Duty Endowment:
The Call of Duty Endowment is a non-profit, public benefit corporation conceived by Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard. The organization seeks to help soldiers that provide job placement and training. For more information about the Call of Duty Endowment, please visit www.callofdutyendowment.org.
About Activision Blizzard
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Blizzard, Inc. is a worldwide online, PC and console game publisher with leading market positions across every major category of the rapidly growing interactive entertainment software industry.
Activision Blizzard maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, China, South Korea and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision Blizzard and its products can be found on the company's website, www.activisionblizzard.com.
About Activision Publishing, Inc.
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.
Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain,
Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's website, www.activision.com.
ACTIVISION and CALL OF DUTY are registered trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc.
SOURCE Call of Duty Endowment