GameStop, a global family of specialty retail brands that makes the most popular technologies affordable and simple, announced today a partnership with The Call of Duty Endowment (the Endowment) and Snowball Express to raise funds to help support U.S. military veterans and the children and families of America’s fallen military heroes. PowerUp Rewards members who donate $1 or more will receive triple reward points on the donation amount.
From October 21 to November 15, GameStop will invite customers to show their support of our veterans and their families by donating $1, $5 or $10 at the point-of-purchase. This is GameStop’s first time to conduct an in-store and online donation campaign to benefit the Endowment and Snowball Express. All donations will be equally distributed between the two charities.
The Endowment helps veterans re-enter the civilian job market with high-quality careers by supporting groups that prepare veterans for the job market and by raising awareness of the value vets bring to the workplace. Founded by Activision Blizzard’s CEO Bobby Kotick, the Endowment has placed more than 25,000 veterans in high-quality jobs since 2009. GameStop has been a supporter of the Endowment since 2012, raising more than $3 million through the sale of Call of Duty Challenge Coins and Dog Tags to help put more than 3,400 vets back to work.
GameStop is also working closely with the Endowment on ways to increase the number of veterans it hires within its family of retail brands.
Snowball Express serves the children and families of America’s fallen military service members. Their mission is to honor those service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice since 9/11 by humbly serving the families and children left behind. Each year Snowball Express hosts the largest gathering in the world of children who have all lost a parent while serving our country. More than 1,700 children and surviving spouses attend a special five day holiday program dedicated to help them heal, create hope and happy memories. GameStop has been a sponsor of Snowball Express for many years, providing the ultimate gaming experience for the children and teens attending the annual Snowball Express event.
“We are proud to expand our support of the Call of Duty Endowment and Snowball Express, two charities that have done so much for our military families,” said Matt Hodges, Vice President, Corporate Communications for GameStop. “With so many of our associates and customers having a military background, or a family member in the military, it is an honor to help raise much needed funds to help these charities continue the important work they are doing.”
The GameStop campaign will be supported by specialized in-store and online promotional materials, online outreach through the company’s mobile gaming division, Kongregate, and GameStop’s passionate store associates who are committed to giving back to their communities.
About the Call of Duty Endowment
The Call of Duty Endowment is a non-profit organization founded by Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard. The organization seeks to help veterans find high-quality careers by supporting groups that prepare them for the job market and by raising awareness of the value vets bring to the workplace. For more information about the Call of Duty Endowment, please visit www.callofdutyendowment.org.