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)