INFINITI today presented a $100,000 check in the name of University of Florida men’s basketball coach Billy Donovan’s designated charity, the Sebastian Ferrero Foundation, for winning the inaugural INFINITI Coaches’ Charity Challenge. Donovan received an astonishing 51 percent of the fan-based voting over a six-week period.
Thirteen other coaches’ charity organizations will receive $10,000 donations on behalf of INFINITI. The check was presented to the Sebastian Ferrero Foundation founders Horst and Luisa Ferrero in a ceremony held at INFINITI headquarters in Franklin, Tenn., and included a taped message from Donovan.
“We congratulate Coach Donovan, his supporters at the University of Florida, and especially the Sebastian Ferrero Foundation for its outstanding efforts in supporting improvements in pediatric healthcare,” said Ben Poore, vice president, INFINITI Business Unit. “We want to thank all our participating coaches and congratulate their teams for outstanding seasons.”
"I really appreciate all the people that voted and got involved in support of the INFINITI Coaches' Charity Challenge," said Coach Billy Donovan. "My wife and I feel very privileged to be part of the Sebastian Ferrero Foundation. The money is certainly going to a terrific cause committed to improving pediatric patient safety and creating a children's hospital at UF." Coach Donovan has been an avid supporter of the Sebastian Ferrero Foundation, rallying the Gator Nation together for the cause.
"Coach Donovan's dedication to the Foundation has certainly proven that inspiration is contagious through the INFINITI Coaches' Charity Challenge," said Horst and Luisa Ferrero.
"We are extremely thankful to INFINITI for creating a platform that allowed college basketball fans around the country an opportunity to participate in an online initiative that not only benefited our Foundation, but also so many wonderful causes, raising funds and critical awareness for each. Coach Donovan’s win is a huge victory for the children of our Gainesville community and the surrounding areas."
The INFINITI Coaches’ Charity Challenge began January 21 and ended March 11, with fans, alumni and consumers voting on a special site at www.espn.com/infiniti for their favorite of 14 coaches participating in the INFINITI-sponsored ESPN GameDay Games of the Week. The program was built with INFINITI’s partnership with the National Association of Basketball Coaches Foundation (NABC Foundation, Inc.). In addition to Donovan, the additional participating coaches and their charities were:
- Rick Barnes, University of Texas, Neighborhood Longhorns Program
- John Calipari, University of Kentucky, Samaritan’s Feet
- Jamie Dixon, University of Pittsburgh, Maggie Dixon Foundation
- Scott Drew, Baylor University, Scott & Kelly Drew Scholarship Fund
- Seth Greenberg, Virginia Tech, American Heart Association
- Tom Izzo, Michigan State University, Coaches vs. Cancer
- Mike Krzyzewski, Duke University, The Emily Krzyzewski Foundation
- Frank Martin, Kansas State University, Coaches vs. Cancer
- Matt Painter, Purdue University, Special Olympics
- Bill Self, University of Kansas, Bill Self’s Assists Foundation
- Rick Stansbury, Mississippi State University, Camp Rising Sun
- Bruce Weber, University of Illinois, Coaches vs. Cancer
- Jay Wright, Villanova University, Coaches vs. Cancer
About INFINITI
INFINITI offers a full-line of luxury performance automobiles, including the G Coupe, Sedan and Convertible, M sedan, EX and FX crossovers, and the QX full-size SUV. More information about INFINITI and its Total Ownership Experience® can be found at www.INFINITIUSA.com.
About ESPN
ESPN, Inc., is the world’s leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company featuring a portfolio of more than 50 multimedia sports assets. The company is comprised of seven 24-hour domestic television networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, ESPN Classic, ESPN Deportes and ESPN 3D). ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNEWS HD are simulcast services. Other businesses include ESPN Regional Television, ESPN International (46 networks, syndication, radio, websites), ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN3.com (broadband sports network) ESPN Mobile, ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Enterprises, ESPN PPV and other growing new businesses, including ESPN on Demand and ESPN Interactive. Based in Bristol, Conn., ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., which is an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The Hearst Corporation holds a 20 percent interest in ESPN.
About the NABC Foundation, Inc.
The NABC Foundation was organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes, and to support the charitable and education purposes of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (“NABC”), a Kansas non-profit corporation. The NABC Foundation is the founder and chief sponsor of TTRR (Ticket to Reading Rewards), a national literacy program targeting middle school aged youth. In addition, the Foundation operates the College Basketball Experience (CBE), an experiential facility which also includes the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. Opened in October 2007, the CBE is adjacent to the Sprint Center in downtown Kansas City, Mo. For more information, go to www.nabcfoundation.org.
About the Sebastian Ferrero Foundation:
The Sebastian Ferrero Foundation was created by Horst and Luisa Ferrero in November 2007 to honor and endure the memory of their happy and healthy three-year-old son, Sebastian, who died in October 2007 as a result of a series of preventable medical errors in Gainesville, Florida. The mission of the Sebastian Ferrero Foundation is to advocate and fundraise for a state-of-the-art, full service children's hospital in Gainesville, Florida while promoting excellence in patient safety and insuring that all families are treated with compassion, courtesy and dignity. For more information, visit www.SebastianFerrero.org.
Contact:
Ray Daniels, INFINITI Product Communications, 615-725-1449, ray.daniels@infiniti.com
Amy Phillips, ESPN, amy.phillips@espn.com, 212-456-0226
