Major League Baseball Players LaTroy Hawkins and Drew Stubbs Grocery Shop in Support of Live Below the Line Challenge
NEW YORK, NY, Tuesday, April 14, 2015 – In a video released today by the Major League Baseball Players Trust, Major Leaguers LaTroy Hawkins and Drew Stubbs of the Colorado Rockies are featured grocery shopping on a budget of $15.00 in support of the upcoming Live Below the Line challenge.
To view the video, please click here.
The video, shot in Scottsdale, Arizona during Spring Training, includes footage of the players attempting to purchase enough food to last the five days of the Live Below the Line challenge by combining their daily budget of $1.50.
The Players participated in the video shoot to support and raise awareness for the Major League Baseball Players Trust’s participation in the Live Below the Line campaign.
As a further show of support, both Hawkins and Stubbs plan to live on $1.50 each, this Thursday, April 16. They will document their efforts via social media. [Twitter: @LaTroyHawkins32 @drewstubbs13].
The Major League Baseball Players Trust has signed up to help further the movement to end extreme poverty by participating in the 4th annual Live Below the Line campaign, a fundraising initiative by The Global Poverty Project that challenges participants to live on $1.50/day for food and drink for 1 - 5 days during the week of April 27 - May 1, 2015.
Live Below the Line is an advocacy and fundraising campaign that shines a light on the issues facing one billion people around the world living in extreme poverty, defined by the World Bank as living on less than $1.50 a day for all their livelihood needs. People living in extreme poverty are faced with difficult and life-affecting decisions, having to choose between a life-saving vaccine, shelter or food.
Because it would be difficult for professional athletes to consume their needed caloric intake on a $1.50 a day, Major Leaguers will be supporting the Players Trust’s participation in the challenge via social media. And some players may join Hawkins and Stubbs by Living Below the Line on an off-day between now and May 1.
Those interested in joining the Players in their efforts to support the Trust’s Live Below the Line participation are asked to visit: http://bit.ly/1DKKXjs.
The Players Trust will also accept off-line contributions in support of the Live Below the Line challenge, and donations can be made with a credit card by calling 888-714-0755 between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM Monday through Friday.
[Note: The Players Trust is exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code and is a public charity. Donors may be entitled to claim an income tax deduction for their donation.]
From providing micro-loans to women in the Dominican Republic to building homes and schools for natural disaster victims in the Philippines and elsewhere, Major Leaguers, through the Players Trust, are supporting the efforts of nonprofits dedicated to helping impoverished populations around the world.
Over the past three years in the United States, Live Below the Line has served as a conduit for more than 35,000 participants to educate their family, friends and colleagues about extreme poverty. During this time, more than $11 million was raised for charity partners doing life-affecting work in the development sector. This year, the campaign will benefit more than 20 leading nonprofits doing life-saving work throughout the world, including: the Players Trust, Concern, Heifer International, The Hunger Project, USA for UNHCR, and Opportunity International.
Past and present campaign supporters include: Vice President Joe Biden and Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden, Hugh Jackman, Ben Affleck, Bridget Moynahan, Tom Hiddleston, Chef Carla Hall, Josh Groban, Sophia Bush, Jonah Hill, Petra Nemcova, and Lauren Bush Lauren.
###
About the Major League Baseball Players Trust
Through the Players Trust, Major Leaguers contribute their time, money and celebrity to call attention to important causes affecting the needy and to help encourage others to get involved in their own communities. Each year the Players Trust distributes more than $1.5 million in annual grants and programs, and inspires hundreds of thousands of high school students to volunteer in their communities through the Action Team national youth volunteer program. For additional information, please visit www.PlayersTrust.org and visit the Players Trust channel on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/MLBPlayersTrust. Follow the Trust on Twitter (@MLBPlayersTrust) and Instagram (mlbplayerstrust).
ABOUT THE GLOBAL POVERTY PROJECT:
The Global Poverty Project is a registered 501(c) (3) international nonprofit organization whose mission is to end extreme poverty by 2030. The advocacy organization works in partnership with other NGOs, business leaders, world leaders and global citizens in its efforts to build the largest movement of people taking actions and calling on governments to support policies that would significantly impact the world’s poor. The Global Poverty Project organizes massive global campaigns including Live Below the Line and the annual Global Citizen Festival as catalysts in this movement. Over the last three years, through its Global Citizen platform, citizens have taken 1.2 million actions taken in the fight against extreme poverty, resulting in 54 commitments and policy announcements, including cash commitments valued at US $16.6 billion. The Global Poverty Project has offices in New York, Canada, UK and Australia. For more information, visit www.GlobalPovertyProject.org.
For More Information:
Major League Baseball Players Trust: Greg Bouris, Major League Baseball Players Association, 212/826-0808; gbouris@mlbpa.org
The Global Poverty Project: Blaec Kalweit, kalweit@sunshinesachs.com, 212.691.2800; Haley Dorgan, dorgan@sunshinesachs.com, 212.691.2800; Jason Lee, lee@sunshinesachs.com, 212.691.2800
