- Coach Matt Painter of the Purdue University Boilermakers Wins INFINITI Coaches Charity Challenge raising $100,000 for the Smith Family BReaK Thru Fund
- INFINITI to donate up to $700,000 for Coaches vs. Cancer through CBS Sports Round by Round Brackets
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – For the fifth consecutive year, INFINITI announced the winner of its annual Coaches' Charity Challenge, Coach Matt Painter of the Purdue Boilermakers. The Coaches' Charity Challenge is a promotion to bring awareness and funds to worthy charities across the country as part of an ongoing corporate partnership with the NCAA® and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).
INFINITI will donate $100,000 to Painter's charity of choice, the Smith Family BReaK Thru Fund which seeks to raise funds to help find a cure for Niemann-Pick Type C Disease (NPC).
The Smith Family BReaK Thru Fund was established in 2008 in honor of three of Trent and Julie Smith's children who were diagnosed with the deadly genetic, neurodegenerative disorder which causes progressive deterioration of the nervous system.
"We're honored to continue our support of the Coaches' Charity Challenge" said Allyson Witherspoon, Director Marketing Communications and Media, INFINITI USA. "This program is a great way for us to raise awareness for charities that are important to college basketball coaches and provides an outlet for fans to show their spirit, while at the same time raising money for worthy causes. Coach Painter did a tremendous job to rally the Boilermakers' fans during the extremely close competition. We're proud to make this contribution to the Smith Family BReaK Thru Fund and hope it plays a small part in helping to find a cure."
Also, as part of the comprehensive partnership with the NCAA, CBS Sports, Turner Sports, and the NABC, during the March Madness® tournament, INFINITI will make a charitable contribution to Coaches vs. Cancer, a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the NABC.
Each correct game pick fans make in Round by Round brackets at CBSSports.com during March Madness (March 16 – April 6) INFINITI will make a donation to the program, totaling up to $700,000. Participants whose overall score ranks them in the top 10 percent of scorers in each of the six rounds of the bracket game will be entered into the price drawings. One grand prize winner will be chosen at random and awarded to tickets and $500 toward travel the 2016 NCAA Final Four®, courtesy of INFINITI.
"We are delighted that INFINITI is supporting the American Cancer Society and our Coaches vs. Cancer program again this year through the Round by Round Brackets," said Robert Youle, chair of the American Cancer Society Board of Directors. "Coaches vs. Cancer brings college basketball coaches nationwide together for a common cause: fighting cancer."
About INFINITI:
INFINITI Motor Company Ltd. is headquartered in Hong Kong with sales operations in over 50 countries. The INFINITI brand was launched in 1989. Its range of premium automobiles is currently built in manufacturing facilities in Japan, the United States and China. Production in the UK will start in 2015, bringing with it significant expansion of the brand's portfolio. INFINITI plans to also expand manufacturing into Mexico by 2017.
As the Title Partner and Vehicle Performance Partner of INFINITI Red Bull Racing, INFINITI has a far-reaching technical collaboration with the four-time FIA Formula One World Championship winning Team.
More information about INFINITI and its industry leading technologies can be found at www.infiniti.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and see all our latest videos on YouTube.
About NCAA:
The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 400,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports.
Visit www.ncaa.org and www.ncaa.com for more details about the Association, its goals and members and corporate partnerships that help support programs for student-athletes. [NCAA, Final Four and March Madness are trademarks owned or licensed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.]
About the National Association of Basketball Coaches:
Located in Kansas City, Missouri, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Forrest "Phog" Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC currently has nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men's basketball coaches. All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today's student-athletes.
The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education. Additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, can be found at www.nabc.org.
About Coaches vs. Cancer:
Coaches vs. Cancer is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) that empowers basketball coaches, their teams, and local communities to make a difference in the fight against cancer. The program leverages the personal experiences, community leadership, and professional excellence of basketball coaches nationwide to increase cancer awareness and promote healthy living through year-round awareness efforts, fundraising activities, and advocacy programs. Since 1993, the initiative has raised more than $80 million dollars to fund groundbreaking research, provide up-to-date cancer literacy, advocate for public health policies and deliver services to improve the quality of life for patients and their families. To learn more, visit www.coachesvscancer.org
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