LAUREUS LAUNCHES 'EVERYONE WINS' CAMPAIGN TO ADDRESS SOCIAL CHALLENGES THROUGH SPORT

Laureus is today launching the EVERYONE WINS campaign to highlight the invaluable role that sport plays in tackling issues of violence, inequality and discrimination across the globe.

The campaign aims to increase participation in Laureus projects by establishing a widespread understanding of how sport can bring positive change that transforms lives.

Laureus is now calling for funding and communications partners to join it in celebrating the inspirational power of sport as a force for good by supporting programmes that directly deliver sports opportunities to young people to help them address and overcome issues facing them and their communities.

Drew Barrand, Laureus Head of Commercial and Sales, said: "Laureus combines the storytelling power of our platform with the impact being delivered on the ground through the programmes.

"The EVERYONE WINS campaign is a statement of intent. It showcases Laureus’ purpose and our capability to drive social change on a global scale through partnership. We are calling for funding and communications partners to join us in celebrating the inspirational power of sport as a force for good by supporting programmes that directly deliver sports opportunities to young people to help them address and overcome issues facing them and their communities.

"Laureus is in a unique position in that we have more than two decades of experience supporting and implementing powerful sports development projects coupled with our unparalleled international marketing profile that showcase the power of sport to transform lives and communities – which makes for a powerful proposition for brands wanting to enhance their CSR objectives."

Best known for the annual Laureus World Sports Awards, our founding patron, Nelson Mandela stated that "Sport has the power to change the world" – Laureus Sport for Good is a global sporting movement that helps to bring this power to life, through its continued support for sporting projects across the world.

The EVERYONE WINS campaign is backed by legends of the Laureus Academy Members and Laureus Ambassadors, takes inspiration from the hardships that so many young people face and aims to drive further engagement, fundraising and ensure a greater understanding and appreciation of the role that sport plays within society.

Currently supporting more than 200 programmes in over 40 countries, through its charity, Laureus Sport for Good, Laureus champions the power of sport as a tool for social change, working with funding partners such as Comic Relief and Nike to support existing sports-based community programmes.

Former All Black captain and Chairman of the Laureus World Sports Academy, Sean Fitzpatrick, said: "Everyone Wins marks a turning point for Laureus, a recognition that whilst the Awards are the public face of the organisation and a hugely beneficial platform for Laureus Sport for Good, our year-round work and impact has to be seen, shared and understood more regularly. I’m incredibly excited to see this dynamic campaign take Laureus Sport for Good to new audiences and look forward to seeing the response."

Four-time Overall World Cup champion and the greatest women’s Alpine skier in history, Laureus Academy Member Lindsey Vonn, said: "I think sport has a unique opportunity to change people in ways they never expected. I learned so much from winning and losing in my professional career, and I know from the work of Laureus Sport for Good and the Lindsey Vonn Foundation, that sport can transform and empower young people, helping them overcome issues in their own lives. In a ski race, there can only be one winner, but when we use sport to help young people tackle social issues, I truly believe that EVERYONE WINS."

Four-time Olympic champion and Laureus Academy Member Michael Johnson said: "Through Laureus, I’ve had the opportunity to work across the world, helping disadvantaged young people change their lives for the better through sport. Our programmes help to ensure that EVERYONE WINS through sport when it is used to break down the social barriers that so many face. By recognising the invaluable contributions of this work, this campaign will help us continue to reach and support more communities."

Portuguese football legend and former World and European Footballer of the Year, Laureus Academy Member Luis Figo, said: "Football has been such an influential part of my life, and taught me so much. Everyone Wins gives us a platform to celebrate the real success in sport, the young people using sport to change their lives for the better. In the professional game, there are winners and losers, but when young people use football to tackle discrimination and poverty, EVERYONE WINS."

EVERYONE WINS will celebrate the work that so many do in changing lives, from the inspirational community leaders, coaches and administrators, to the participants of Laureus Sport for Good programmes around the world. The campaign also promotes schools, community clubs, local councils and grassroots organisations, whose valuable contribution to society often goes unnoticed in the wider world of sport.

Since being established in 2000, Laureus Sport for Good has raised more than $150 million for sporting projects across the planet, helping more than six million disadvantaged young people overcome their daily struggles.

ENDS

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