FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: BING AND DOSOMETHING.ORG KICK OFF THE BING SUMMER OF DOING BY RENOVATING HEART OF LOS ANGELES (HOLA) AND LAFAYETTE RECREATION CENTER ALONGSIDE CELEBRITIES HILARY DUFF, CODY SIMPSON & LOCAL VOLUNTEERS The Search Engine from Microsoft and the Nation’s Largest Organization for Teenagers and Social Change Kicked Off a Nationwide Campaign WHAT: Bing and DoSomething.org Kick Off the Bing Summer of Doing at HOLA and Lafayette Recreation Center (June 1, 2012) Today, Bing and Do Something.org kicked-off the Bing Summer of Doing at Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA), a center that provides thousands of underserved and at-risk youth with exceptional free after-school programs in academics, arts and athletics, and Lafayette Recreation Center. The campaign aims to inspire young people to come together and give back to their communities throughout the summer. The Bing Summer of Doing is in celebration of the new Bing, which combines the best of search with the best people from popular social networks like Facebook and Twitter, to help people spend less time searching and more time doing. Bing and DoSomething.org worked alongside celebrities and volunteers to beautify and renovate spaces at HOLA and the Lafayette Recreation Center, including restoring an outdoor space into a multi-purpose area with a classroom and sustainable garden; painting murals; remodeling the student lounge; and updating HOLA’s computer lab. The day of service concluded with an unveil for the HOLA students, with opening remarks from representatives of Bing, Do Something, HOLA and the Department of Recreation and Parks, HOLA’s partner at the Recreation Center, and a celebration with a surprise performance by Cody Simpson. The Bing Summer of Doing kicked off at HOLA and the Lafayette Recreation Center and will extend from June through August, with multiple events in markets across the U.S. A national daily challenge called “The Hunt, 11 Days of Doing” will inspire young people to do 11 days of challenges focused on creating positive community impact. Starting July 10th, teens will be faced with a new series of challenges focused on a specific cause every day. Teams will work together to complete all the challenges and report back to show how they were able to create measurable impact in their community, all while collecting points to win prizes.
WHO: Hilary Duff; Cody Simpson; Rachael Leigh Cook; Ross Mathews; Aria Finger (COO of DoSomething.org); Lisa Gurry (Sr. Director, Bing); Tony Brown (Executive Director of HOLA); Regina Adams (Executive Officer, Department of Recreation and Parks)
For all Media Inquires: Jaclyn Rutigliano: Rutigliano@sunshinesachs.com / 516-644-9105 Sarah Novatt: novatt@sunshinesachs.com / 212-691-2800 Lee Schube: lschube@heartofla.org / 213-389-1148 PHOTO CAPTION: Bing and DoSomething.org Kick off Bing Summer of Doing at HOLA *Please credit Bing and DoSomething.org in all photo captions * ABOUT BING: Bing is the search engine from Microsoft, designed for people who do. For people like you who are always doing more and don’t have time to sit still. So whether you’re on your PC or on your phone, Bing is designed not just to connect you to the information you are looking for, but also to help you get things done right on Bing.com. Now, only Bing brings together the best search and the best people from your social networks to help you spend less time searching and more time doing. ABOUT DOSOMETHING.ORG DoSomething.org is focused on harnessing the energy from young people and unleashing it – to drive real impact in ways that don’t require money, an adult, or a car. DoSomething.org drives many campaigns with young people to impact causes – ranging from animals, bullying, education, environment, human rights and more. We love teens. They are creative, active, wired…and frustrated that our world is so messed up. DoSomething.org harnesses that awesome energy and unleashes it on causes teens care about. Almost every week, we launch a new national campaign. The call to action is always something that has a real impact and doesn't require money, an adult, or a car. With a goal of 5 million active members by 2015, DoSomething.org is one of the largest organizations in the US for teens and social change. Join us at www.DoSomething.org. ABOUT HEART OF LOS ANGELES For more than two decades, HOLA has provided thousands of underserved and at-risk youth with exceptional free after-school programs in academics, arts and athletics, including a new world-class youth orchestra program, visual arts program, college preparation courses and athletic leagues. HOLA provides elementary, middle and high school programming for a growing population of children who are in urgent need of supplemental services. Every day, HOLA empowers inner-city youth to advance their lives and revitalize their communities through enrichment, personal development and leadership programs. Please visit our website at www.heartofla.org. ABOUT CITY OF LOS ANGELES RECREATION AND PARKS DEPARTMENT The Department of Recreation and Parks maintains over 15,710 acres of parkland with over 400 neighborhood and regional parks, 184 recreation centers and facilities, 372 children's play areas, 321 tennis courts, 256 ball fields, 31 senior centers, 13 golf courses, nine dog parks, 14 skate parks, 12 museums and an urban forest of one million trees. The Department also provides after school and day care programs for children and teens, including basketball, volleyball, softball and flag football leagues. For more information about the Department of Recreation and Parks, please visit www.laparks.org. ####################