Community Overview
WWE has a strong philosophy to give back to the communities and children whom we touch. “WWE In Your Corner” is WWE’s charitable arm that focuses on literacy programs, civic engagement, military support and a 20-plus year partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. All charitable requests should be sent to Sue Aitchison, Director, Community Relations, WWE, Inc., 1241 East Main Street, Stamford, CT 06902 or via fax: 203-353-5029. No emails please. **Please note that as of May 2009, we are unable to accept auction package requests.**
To learn more about WWE’s recent community activities, please click here.
Get R.E.A.L.
Established in 2001, WWE’s Get R.E.A.L. program brings WWE Superstars into schools to deliver positive messages about Respect, Education, Achievement and Leadership, and discuss how these four tenets can help students achieve their goals.
Get R.E.A.L. Read
For more than seven years, the Get R.E.A.L. Read program has provided WWE Superstars with the opportunity to promote literacy. More than 300,000 posters featuring WWE Superstars encouraging reading have been distributed to teachers, libraries and parents across the United States over the past few years. The feature program of Get R.E.A.L. Read is the WrestleMania Reading Challenge, which WWE and the American Library Association’s Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) have sponsored since 2006 to encourage “reluctant readers” to read more often. The program was initially open to grades 9-12. However, due to the enthusiasm shown by the children it has been expanded to now include grades 5-8. In 2008-2009, The Challenge, with more than 1,600 libraries participating, culminated at the WrestleMania Reading Challenge National Finals the weekend of the WrestleMania 25 in Houston, Texas.
Smackdown Your Vote!
Smackdown Your Vote! is a non-partisan partnership to encourage more 18 to 30 year olds to vote. Since its inception in 2000, organizations participating in the partnership include the League of Women Voters, the National Association of Secretaries of State, the Harvard Institute of Politics, the University of Virginia’s Youth Leadership Initiative and Rock the Vote. Smackdown Your Vote! has engaged in various activities and provided resources to reach young adults throughout the US to encourage them to become more active in the democratic process.
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. Since 1982, WWE Superstars have conducted more than 5,000 meet-and-greet sessions with sick children in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, Spain, Germany and Australia, to name a few.
Part of WWE’s Circle of Champions initiative has been a 20-plus year relationship with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
In 2004, the Make-A-Wish Foundation awarded WWE its Chris Greicius Award for WWE’s extensive support of its organization. Other recipients of the award include John Cena (2009), Sue Aitchison (2006) Director, WWE Community Relations, The Rock (2004), Hulk Hogan (1994), and Jesse Ventura (1991). WWE Superstar John Cena, who has granted more than 140 wishes, is the first celebrity to join basketball legend Michael Jordan on the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s Wish Ambassadors Council.
WWE Community Champions
WWE’s newest community program is WWE Community Champions, which began in early 2009, encourages and celebrates youth volunteerism. Youth are nominated or cited by community leaders for outstanding volunteerism in their local communities. WWE then provides recognition and support for the volunteers’ efforts.
Military Outreach
WWE Superstars regularly visit military bases and hospitals, including Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Bethesda Naval Hospital, to bolster the morale of our troops.
Since 2003, the WWE has produced WWE’s holiday “Tribute to the Troops” with WWE Superstars and Divas performing before troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition, WWE Superstars and Divas visited thousands of troops stationed at forward operating bases in these war zones.
WWE also is a proud supporter of the National Guard’s ChalleNGe program, which assists underprivileged youth to obtain their GED or other technical trades.