In searching for a famous athlete to bolster a new charity event, CBS EcoMedia president Paul Polizzotto dialed Steve Salem, the president of the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation. EcoMedia had worked with Cal Ripken Jr. and the foundation in the past, and when he heard about it, the Orioles Hall of Famer came aboard almost instantly.
"It was an easy decision," said John Maroon, Ripken's public relations representative. "It didn't take but a second to make the decision. It's great exposure for the work of the Ripken foundation. You're getting money one way or the other, and it could be a lot of money."
On Wednesday, Ripken and 11 other celebrities from sports, entertainment and social media began the Charity Champions League. The 12 people represent 11 different nonprofits. Through June 15, viewers can go to the league website for free to view and share content for one of the 11 teams. Each time they do, the teams earn points. At the end of the challenge, the first-place nonprofit will receive a donation of $250,000, with second place receiving $100,000 and all nonprofits receiving at least $5,000.
The money comes from supporters such as Toyota rather than the viewers.
"We joined the Charity Champions League because it was a terrific opportunity for the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation and many other nonprofit organizations," Ripken said in a statement. "Like other nonprofits, it is challenging for us to raise awareness and funds to support the work that the foundation does for underserved kids across the country. Charity Champions League offers a unique way for nonprofits to accomplish these goals."
EcoMedia and the Ripken Foundation, which provides athletic programs to kids around the country, already had a relationship from work done in past years. Because of that, Ripken was the first athlete Polizzotto called.
This is the first year of the challenge, but what appealed to EcoMedia and the nonprofits about the idea was that it doesn't require a monetary contribution from the general public. Polizzotto was concerned about what he called "donor fatigue" but hopes that the new angle for the charity event will draw in viewers.
"What we think is really powerful about that is the democratization of philanthropy," Polizzotto said. "It really allows everyone to give, regardless of socioeconomic status."
Through less than one day, the results were mixed. Just before 8 p.m. Wednesday, Phil Keoghan and the Natural Multiple Sclerosis Society sat atop the leaderboard with 431,732 points, while Stephanie May, Matilda Donovan and the Ronald McDonald House Charities were in last with just 207. Ripken was in third with 228,300.
Another Baltimore connection, New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira (Mount Saint Joseph) is also participating along with the Harlem RBI foundation, which — much like the Ripken foundation — works to provide baseball opportunities to inner-city youth. The other athletes are Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt and former New England Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo.
The event features several big names from multiple areas. The biggest challenge, Maroon said, has been conveying the new concept to people.
"When you ask people to sign up for something, their initial reaction is, 'What do they want for me?' on social media," Maroon said.
But, he added, if this edition goes well, the Ripken foundation would support it becoming a more regular event.
"There's no downside," Maroon said. "It's all upside. It's exposure, it's dollars. … There was no reason to not do it. Our first reaction was, 'Of course.' It helped tremendously that an existing partner was running it, because then it gave us great faith in it right out of the gate."
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