Corporate Social Responsibility
be a STAR
For more information, please visit www.beaSTARalliance.org.
Launched in April 2011, "be a STAR" (Show Tolerance And Respect) is WWE’s multi-platform, anti-bullying initiative co-founded with The Creative Coalition. "be a STAR" includes more than 50 alliance members including the National Education Association Health Information Network (NEA HIN), GLAAD, STOMP Out Bullying, The Ad Council and the United Federation of Teachers all partnering to take action against bullying.
The mission of "be a STAR" is to ensure a positive and equitable social environment for everyone regardless of age, race, religion or sexual orientation through grassroots efforts beginning with education and awareness. "be a STAR" promotes positive methods of social interaction and encourages people to treat others as equals and with respect because everyone is a star in their own right.
As part of its mission, the alliance unveiled a free anti-bullying curriculum created by NEA HIN and True Educator Inc. The teacher’s resource aide aligns with national education standards to complement existing mandated curriculums and consists of nine lesson plans that teachers can access for free. The curriculum has been downloaded by more than 3,000 educators across the country and is being used from Bridgeport, CT to Philadelphia to Miami and Phoenix, just to name a few.
Furthermore, the alliance debuted "be a STAR" chapter toolkits to help schools and communities start their own "be a STAR" chapters. The free kit includes a guide on how to start the chapter, suggested activities, resources, a poster and other useful tools to combat bullying.
In an ongoing effort to spread the word about tolerance and respect, WWE Superstars and Divas visit schools each month and have already spoken to students in places such as The Bronx, Los Angeles, Boston, St. Louis, Kansas City, Cleveland and Philadelphia. In 2012, be a STAR will unveil a print PSA campaign that features notable celebrities such as Angus T. Jones, Eric Stonestreet, Alan Cumming and Maria Menounos.
Circle of Champions
WWE’s Circle of Champions grants the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses who desire to meet their favorite WWE Superstars and Divas. Since 1982, WWE Superstars have conducted more than 6,000 meet-and-greet sessions with sick children in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, Spain, Germany and Australia, to name a few.
WWE grants hundreds of wishes a year to children around the world who have requested meets with our WWE Superstars through various wish organizations including the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Starlight Children’s Foundation, Kid’s Wish Network, the Rainbow Connection, Sunshine Foundation of Canada and A Wish with Wings in North America and internationally for Dreams Come True, Rays of Sunshine the Willow Foundation and Starlight. In the first quarter of 2012, WWE granted 24 wishes within the United States and abroad.
WWE Superstar John Cena, who serves as a Wish Ambassador, is rapidly approaching his 300th wish granted through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which will make him the only celebrity to have ever accomplished this achievement.
Muscular Dystrophy Association: In August 2010, WWE and the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) joined forces to launch MDA’s “Make A Muscle, Make a Difference” campaign at WWE’s SummerSlam kick-off party. The event raised awareness for muscle diseases and featured members of MDA’s celebrity muscle team such as WWE Superstar Triple H, Nancy O’Dell, Alison Sweeney and others.
WWE continues to support MDA. Most recently, WWE Legend Sgt. Slaughter has appeared at regional “Make A Muscle, Make a Difference” fundraising events in cities like New York, Boston, Charlotte and Milwaukee on behalf of WWE Superstar Triple H who maintains his role as spokesperson for the campaign.
Literacy Initiatives
WrestleMania Reading Challenge: WWE and the American Library Association’s Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) sponsor the WrestleMania Reading Challenge to encourage teens and tweens to read more often.
The 2011-2012 Challenge marked the program’s seventh year and culminated at the national WrestleMania Reading Challenge Final the weekend of WrestleMania XXVIII in Miami, FL. More than 2,000 branches and 50,000 young people from the U.S. and Canada participated in this year’s challenge, including students from the Miami School District.
SummerSlam Reading Jam: This global literacy program encourages young people of all ages to read a book in the summer. From July through August, kids can join the program by visiting the “In Your Corner” section of WWE.com. Those who participate are asked to email the name of their favorite author along with one of the books they will read during the summer. By joining the program, kids receive a free SummerSlam poster through mail or digital download which is available in 20 languages.
In 2011, more than 20,000 SummerSlam Reading Jam posters were distributed via mail or download to children from over 20 countries including Russia, France, Spain, Korea and China who participated in the program.
Military Outreach
WWE Superstars and Divas regularly visit military bases and hospitals, including Walter Reed Army Medical Center (prior to closing its doors in 2011) and Bethesda Naval Hospital, to bolster the morale of our troops. Since 2002, WWE has produced WWE’s Holiday “Tribute to the Troops” with WWE Superstars and Divas performing before troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and the United States. In addition, WWE offers all U.S. military personnel free tickets to all its live events in the United States.
WWE also is a proud supporter of the National Guard’s Youth ChalleNGe Program, which assists youths in obtaining their G.E.D. or becoming educated in technical trades. WWE Superstar Kofi Kingston serves as spokesperson for the program.