Team USA Sponsor Citi Celebrates $500,000 Donation to Benefit Sport Programs in Communities Across America at Conclusion of London 2012 Games
HIGHLIGHTS
New York – Team USA sponsor Citi, the official bank sponsor of the 2012 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams, joined with U.S. Olympians Christie Rampone, Sanya Richards-Ross and U.S. Paralympian Amanda McGrory – all members of Team Citi – to culminate the Every Step of the WaySM program in New York City today. At the event, Citi celebrated its $500,000 donation to the U.S. Olympic Committee to be allocated to Sport Programs in communities across the country.
"As Citi marks 200 years of enabling progress, it has been particularly meaningful to support Team USA on their journey from ambition to achievement," said Ed Skyler, EVP, Global Public Affairs, Citi. "We are extremely proud to support the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes of 2012 and to reinforce our legacy of giving back to the communities we serve by supporting the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls of tomorrow."
In April, Citi announced a $500,000 donation to the USOC to launch the Every Step of the Way program to benefit future hopefuls and athletes of all ages in communities across the country. Through activity on Facebook and Twitter, the American people helped allocate the donation, represented by 50 million ThankYou® Points – the currency of Citi ThankYou® Rewards – to the Sport Programs that inspired the 13 athletes of Team Citi.
"The Every Step of the WaySM program has been the largest and most integrated U.S. sponsorship in the company's 200-year history," said Citi Chief Brand Officer Dermot Boden. "We are thrilled with the response we have seen to this program and proud of how it resonated with our employees, clients and fans of the Olympic and Paralympic movements across the country."
At the event, in a panel moderated by WNBC lead sports anchor Bruce Beck, Team Citi athletes – four-time Olympian Christie Rampone, three-time Olympian Sanya Richards-Ross and two-time Paralympian Amanda McGrory discussed their participation in Citi's Every Step of the Way program and the lasting impact it will have on the Sport Programs that inspired their journey.
In addition, the Team Citi athletes presented their 'Signature Step' to a representative from the Sport Program that inspired them. The one-of-a-kind imprints represent each athlete's step on the journey from ambition to achievement and the lasting impact of the Every Step of the Way program.
Each Sport Program will receive funding ranging from approximately $25,000 to $45,000 based on the specific need identified by Team Citi Athletes for the Every Step of the Way program.
Athletes and their sport programs included:
- Bob & Mike Bryan, Two-time Olympians; gold (2012) and bronze (2008) medalists, Doubles Tennis Mike Bryan, Olympic bronze medalist (2012), Mixed Doubles
Tennis in the Parks: The National Recreation and Park Association's Tennis in the Parks initiative provides fun resources including kid-sized tennis courts and rackets to learn about the game of tennis. - Dominique Dawes, Three-time Olympian; gold (1996) and bronze (1992, 1996, 2000) medalist, Gymnastics
USOC Recovery Center: Dawes is supporting the USOC on the development of a Recovery Center with hot and cold plunge pools to assist in athlete recovery time. - Rowdy Gaines, Three-time Olympic gold medalist (1984), Swimming
U.S. Olympic Committee's Altitude Swim Lane: Rowdy is working for the creation of a hyperoxic swim lane at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. This cutting-edge equipment will allow athletes to train at varying altitudes, enhancing training for future generations of Olympic and Paralympic athletes. - Cullen Jones, Two-time Olympian; gold (2012, 2008) and silver medalist (2012), Swimming
Make a Splash: After nearly drowning at the age of 5, Jones has spent years working with the Make a Splash Initiative to support saving lives through swimming lessons. - Gwen Jorgensen, 2012 U.S. Olympian, Triathlon
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee: Jorgensen, a volunteer at Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, is working to expand the Clubs' Bike Shop program to give bicycles to children in the Greater Milwaukee area whose financial situation prevents them from owning one. - Meb Keflezighi, Three-time Olympian; silver medalist (2004), Track & Field
USOC Sport Performance Center: After suffering from a hip injury in 2007, Keflezighi worked with the USOC Sport Performance division in Colorado Springs. Through the Every Step of the Way, Meb is supporting a Sport Performance fellowship position in sports psychology to help hopefuls in their preparation for competition. This fellowship will focus on cutting-edge technology and research in biofeedback, neural training and mental preparation. - Carlos Leon, 2008 Paralympian, Track & Field
Warrior Games: Leon, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps is working with the Warrior Games, a U.S. Paralympic event that introduces Paralympic sports to injured service members and veterans. - Danell Leyva, 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, Gymnastics
USA Gymnastics Future Stars: Future Stars provides resources and equipment, such as pommel horses, parallel bars, rings and horizontal bars along with event logistical support. Leyva is a past participant in the program. - Amanda McGrory, Two-time Paralympian; gold, silver and bronze medalist (2008), Track & Field
Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association: GLASA provides outreach, education and programming to identify Paralympic hopefuls and to provide them with coaching and resources to help achieve their dreams. - Kari Miller, Two-time Paralympic silver medalist (2012, 2008), Sitting Volleyball
USOC's Paralympic Military and Veteran Program: Miller, a former member of the U.S. Army, lost both her legs when her car was struck by a drunk driver. In 2008, she began working with the USOC's Paralympic Military and Veteran Program, which introduces wounded servicemen and women to Paralympic sports. She currently serves as a program ambassador. - Christie Rampone, Four-time Olympian; gold (2004, 2008, 2012) and silver (2000) medalist, Soccer
Soccer for Success: The U.S. Soccer Foundation's "Soccer for Success" program provides free afterschool soccer programming to children (kindergarten through eighth grade) in underserved communities. - Sanya Richards-Ross, Three-time Olympian; gold (2012, 2008, 2004) and bronze (2008) medalist, Track & Field
Win With Integrity: USA Track & Field's "Win with Integrity" program helps educate students, parents, teachers and coaches at local schools about the positive results that can come from a physically active, drug-free lifestyle.
Citi
Citigroup, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citigroup provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com. *Citi's USOC sponsorship and media rights include U.S. corporate and investment banking, retail banking and commercial banking.
Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com | Twitter: @Citi | YouTube: www.youtube.com/citi | Blog: http://blog.citigroup.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/citi | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/citi
The USOC
Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo., the U.S. Olympic Committee serves as both the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States. As such, the USOC is responsible for the training, entering and funding of U.S. teams for the Olympic, Paralympic, Youth Olympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games, while serving as a steward of the Olympic and Paralympic Movements throughout the country. For more information, visit TeamUSA.org.
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