The Annika Foundation joins 55 other athletes and charities in a virtual fundraising competition on GlobalGiving.org
Orlando, Florida – Hall of Fame golfer Annika Sorenstam and the ANNIKA Foundation have joined Athletes for Hope’s “Who Gives? Racing for a Cause,” the first ever virtual race that enables professional athletes to compete against each other and raise funds for their cause.
The ANNIKA Foundation’s mission is to teach children the importance of living a healthy, active lifestyle through fitness and nutrition and offer aspiring junior golfers opportunities to pursue their dreams. Funds raised during the Who Gives? project will be used to fund the SPARK fitness and nutrition program for low income schools in Florida with a high incidence of childhood obesity.
Throughout her career, Annika has been dedicated to sharing her passion for the game of golf and the importance of leading a healthy active lifestyle. Annika attributes much of her success to the values that sports and physical fitness participation fosters: dedication, camaraderie, self esteem, discipline, and fun. While she has achieved immeasurable success on the course having been the most successful women’s professional golfer to date, Annika has been dedicated to sharing her formula for success with youth who don’t have the opportunities, experiences, education or resources available to them.
“While we all have a strong passion for competing in our sport,” said Annika, “it is inspiring to team with other athletes to use this competitive fire to make a difference in children’s lives.”
Who Gives? Racing for a Cause is the second phase of a unique 3-part campaign highlighting athlete philanthropy and reaching millions of athletes, fans, and philanthropists through social media. This phase features 55 athletes and charities, including Athletes for Hope Founders Mia Hamm, Alonzo Mourning, and Muhammad Ali. Participants are competing for a grand prize purse of $35,000 along with bonus fundraising incentives throughout the 30 day campaign.
“Who Gives? is offering these athletes a unique way to find new support for their causes,” said Don Ochsenreiter, President of the ANNIKA Foundation. “As we continue to grow our mission of helping kids lead active and healthy lifestyles, we are proud to be a part of this initiative.”
Fundraising will take place on the GlobalGiving.org, the world’s leading online marketplace for philanthropy, which connects donors to grassroots and community-based projects around the world. Annika’s project can be viewed at www.globalgiving.org/projects/annikafoundation/.
The race began on December 16th and runs through January 15th. You can follow the race live at www.globalgiving.org/athletes-for-hope.
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About Annika
Annika is the greatest female golfer of our generation and often regarded as the best of all-time. During her 15-year Hall of Fame career, she rewrote the LPGA and Ladies European Tour record books, won countless awards and changed the way women’s golf was played, viewed, and covered. She amassed 89 worldwide professional victories, including 72 LPGA wins, ten of which are Major Championships. Annika stepped away from professional golf after the 2008 season to focus on her family and the ANNIKA brand of businesses, including the ANNIKA Academy, ANNIKA Financial Group, ANNIKA Course Design, the ANNIKA Collection of apparel with Cutter & Buck, signature high-end wines with Wente Vineyards, a fragrance with SA Fragrances, and an online retail shop, shopannika.com. In 2007, Annika created the ANNIKA Foundation as a way to teach children the importance of living a healthy, active lifestyle through fitness and nutrition, and offer aspiring junior golfers opportunities to pursue their dreams. In 2008, Annika joined Arnold Palmer as only the second Ambassador of the United States Golf Association, and in 2009, along with Jack Nicklaus, she was named a Global Ambassador by the International Golf Federation and aided in the successful bid for golf in the 2016 Olympic Games. More information can be found at www.annikasorenstam.com.
About the Annika Foundation
The ANNIKA Foundation teaches children the importance of living a healthy, active lifestyle through fitness and nutrition, and offers aspiring junior golfers opportunities to pursue their dreams. Please visit www.annikafoundation.org for more information.
About Athletes for Hope
Athletes for Hope’s is a 501(c) (3) charitable organization founded by an elite group of 12 professional athletes with a shared passion for philanthropy. Its mission is to educate, encourage, and assist athletes in their efforts to contribute to community and charitable causes; to increase public awareness of those efforts; and to inspire others to do the same. For more information about the “Who Gives?” Campaign, go to: www.are-athletes-obligated.org.
Athletes for Hope’s 12 Founding Athletes are: Andre Agassi, Muhammad Ali, Lance Armstrong, Warrick Dunn, Jeff Gordon, Mia Hamm, Tony Hawk, Andrea Jaeger, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Mario Lemieux, Alonzo Mourning and Cal Ripken, Jr.
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