Overview
WWE believes in giving back to the communities and fans that so fervently support our programming and products. All charitable requests should be sent to Sue Aitchison, Manager, 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.**
Get R.E.A.L.
Get R.E.A.L. is an in-school program that brings WWE Superstars into schools to deliver positive messages about Respect, Education, Achievement and Leadership, and how these four tenets can help students achieve their goals. The program is now being expanded around the world through the use of PSA messages and the distribution of materials, such as bookmarks and posters.
Get R.E.A.L. Read
This program provides our Superstars with the opportunity to promote literacy. More than 400,000 posters featuring WWE Superstars encouraging reading have been distributed to teachers, libraries and parents across the United States since the program began in 2001. WWE and the American Library Association’s Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) are sponsoring the WrestleMania Reading Challenge to encourage “reluctant readers” to read more often. In 2008-2009, The Challenge, with more than a 1,800 libraries participating, will culminate at the national WrestleMania Reading Challenge Finals the weekend of WrestleMania 25 in Houston, Texas. The Challenge was initially open to grades 9-12. However due to the request of librarians, the program was expanded in 2007-2008 to included grades 7-8. In 2008-2009, the Challenge was expanded to include grades 5-6. The Challenge is also undertaken in the UK in partnership with the National Literacy Trust. WWE also has participated with the National Literacy Trust in national reading poster campaigns. WWE continues to look to find ways to expand the Get R.E.A.L. Read and the WrestleMania Reading Challenge. WWE will introduce a new summer reading program, the SummerSlam Reading Jam, later this year.
Smackdown Your Vote!
Smackdown Your Vote! is a non-partisan partnership to encourage more 18 to 30 year olds to vote. Among the organizations participating are the League of Women Voters, the National Association of Secretaries of State, the Harvard Institute of Politics, Sacred Heart University, 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 U.S. to encourage them to become more active in the democratic process. Among our recent accomplishments are having 2008 presidential candidates Senator McCain, Senator Clinton and Senator Obama provided customized video messages that were incorporated into WWE programming. They also responded to WWE’s national voter issues paper for 18-to 30-year-olds, which can be found at smackdownyourvote.com.
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. WWE grants in excess of 270 wishes a year to children around the world who have requested meets with our WWE Superstars.
In 2008 WWE granted more than 50 wishes at one event, WrestleMania 24 in Orlando, the company’s single largest wish granting event ever as part of an expanded partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America. John Cena, WWE Superstar, recently was granted an award by Make-A-Wish for granting over 100 wishes in a uniquely short time frame, and is a Make-A-Wish Ambassador.
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 Jesse Ventura (1991), Hulk Hogan (1994), The Rock (20004), and Sue Aitchison (2006) Director, Community Relations.
WWE Community Champions
This program encourages and celebrates youth volunteerism. Youth are nominated for outstanding volunteerism in their local communities. WWE provides recognition and support for the volunteers’ efforts. The program kicked off in Canada in July 2007 where children are nominated by members of their community for outstanding volunteerism. Each month a winner is selected by WWE officials and recognized for their volunteer efforts. A variation of the program is been introduced in China. We plan to launch a similar program in the U.S.
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 performing before troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. WWE also is a proud supporter of the National Guard’s ChalleNGe program, which assists underprivileged youth to obtain their GED or become educated in technical trades.
In 2004, the USO of Metropolitan Washington presented WWE with the first ever “Legacy of Hope” award for our extensive support of our troops and the USO’s Operation Care Package program. In 2005, The Army Air Force Exchange Service awarded WWE the first-ever Three Commander Coin Award for WWE’s support of its partnership with AAFES to improve the quality of life for our troops by supporting service members and their families worldwide. In 2006, WWE and Vince McMahon each received the Secretary of Defense Exceptional Public Service Award for exceptional public service in support of deployed service members in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2008, WWE was awarded the Corporate Patriot Award from the GI Film Festival for its support of military personnel and their families.
Youth Incentive Program
WWE has a philosophy of using its immense popularity to encourage young people to undertake positive activities in the real world that can have a significant benefit to their local community. Some of the programs WWE has assisted in this effort to provide safe environments and alternatives for children include MAN (Minority Athletes Networking) Inc., Boys and Girls Clubs, Youth Education Through Sport, Police Athletic Leagues, along with many community-based charities.
WWE's Going, Going, Gone
Through this program, WWE donates millions of dollars in merchandise annually to hundreds of charitable organizations to assist them in raising money through auctions, raffles and other fundraising activities. Each holiday season, WWE fulfills hundreds of requests from charitable and religious organizations providing merchandise as gifts for underprivileged kids.