- INFINITI donates $1.1 million to various charities through INFINITI’s relationship with the NCAA®, which includes a donation of $774,180 to the American Cancer Society in partnership with the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
- INFINITI donated an additional $349,000 to various philanthropies through the INFINITI Coaches’ Charity Challenge and the INFINITI sponsored CBS Round-by-Round Bracket Challenge.
- Dave Rose, head coach at Brigham Young University, who won the INFINITI Coaches’ Charity Challenge, received a $100,000 donation to benefit the Simmons Center for Cancer Research at BYU.
NASHVILLE, Tenn., June 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- INFINITI is proud to announce it has donated $1,160,680 to charitable organizations as part of the brand’s ongoing corporate partnership with the NCAA and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). Today, Phil O’Connor, director of Marketing Communications and Media at INFINITI Americas, presented the checks to the winning philanthropies at INFINITI’s North American headquarters.
INFINITI also donated an additional $349,000 to multiple charities individually selected by participating NCAA Division I men’s basketball coaches through the INFINITI Coaches’ Charity Challenge, in which fans voted for their favorite coaches on social media and online. Head coach Dave Rose of Brigham Young University won the challenge, and $100,000 was donated to Simmons Center for Cancer Research at BYU.
“We’re proud to partner with INFINITI, the NABC and our NCAA coaches on the INFINITI Coaches’ Charity Challenge, which provides funding to organizations who in turn help individuals in need,” said Ellen Lucey, director of NCAA championships and alliances, corporate relations, marketing and branding. “The charity challenge is a great example of how the NABC and INFINITI support coaches around our NCAA men’s basketball tournament. It’s great when we can use sports as a platform to provide assistance to deserving organizations and communities.”
Additionally, INFINITI donated $700,000 through the CBS Round-by-Round Bracket Challenge. During March Madness, fans were encouraged to create their brackets using the Round-by-Round Bracket, the only bracket that donated money per correct pick to Coaches vs. Cancer. More than 14 million fans participated, with 9 million correct picks. By participating, fans also entered to win tickets to the 2019 Final Four game.
"For the eighth year in a row, INFINITI is proud to support the NABC, NCAA and Coaches vs. Cancer, by bringing fans, coaches and players together in the fight against cancer," O'Connor said. "We’re honored to be a part of the ‘madness’ every March and take the opportunity to donate to a very important cause."
INFINITI also hosted its third annual Hardwood Heroes Game. Consisting of two teams of cancer survivors, each coached by legendary NCAA coaches, the game kicked off the Final Four weekend at the Alamodome to raise awareness for cancer research. The team coached by Jim Calhoun, along with Assistant Coach Shelley Smith, scored three more points than the team coached by Bo Ryan, with Assistant Coach Kayce Smith, but all were winners at this inspirational game.
Outside the Alamodome, INFINITI presented the Charity Stripe Challenge at Tailgate Plaza, an on-site fundraiser throughout the Final Four weekend. INFINITI donated $74,180 towards Coaches vs. Cancer through a free throw contest with fans.
Since its partnership with the NCAA began in 2009, INFINITI has donated more than $8 million to a variety of charitable organizations.
About INFINITI INFINITI Motor Company Ltd. is headquartered in Hong Kong with representations in 50 markets around the world. The INFINITI brand was launched in 1989. Its range of premium automobiles is currently built in manufacturing facilities in Japan, the United States, United Kingdom and China. INFINITI design studios are located in Atsugi-Shi near Yokohama, London, San Diego and Beijing. INFINITI is in the middle of a major product offensive. The brand has been widely acclaimed for its daring design and innovative driver-assistance technologies. From the 2016 season, INFINITI is a technical partner of the Renault Sport Formula One team, contributing its expertise in hybrid performance.
Find more information about INFINITI, its industry leading technologies and the all-new 2019 QX50 midsize luxury crossover at www.INFINITIUSA.com . You can also follow INFINITI US on Facebook , Instagram , Twitter and see all our latest videos on YouTube .
About NCAA The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 450,000 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, members and corporate partnerships that help support programs for student-athletes. [NCAA is a trademark of 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 Coaches vs. Cancer For the last 25 years, the Coaches vs. Cancer program has united basketball coaches and fans nationwide in collaboration with the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches to defeat a common enemy: cancer. With your passion and dedicated support, the impact has been felt in communities nationwide. Through fundraising and education initiatives including Suits & Sneakers Week and the 3-Point Challenge, Coaches vs. Cancer has worked together with the Society to help increase the number of cancer survivors to more than 15 million strong. The fight isn’t over, and we need you on our team. To learn more about the Coaches vs. Cancer program, visit coachesvscancer.org or visit us on social media at @CoachesvsCancer.
Contact:
Vanessa Bohlscheid Senior Manager, INFINITI Product and Brand Communications (646) 496-2791 vanessa.bohlscheid@infiniti.com
Paige Presley Manager, INFINITI U.S East Region Communications (615) 725-6021 paige.presley@infiniti.com
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
