The Philadelphia Flyers’ Scott Hartnell and the Toronto Maple Leafs’ James 'JVR' van Riemsdyk are currently satisfying their desire to compete. No, they are not off to Europe. Instead, they are going to take their rivalry online to see who can raise the most money for Hurricane Sandy relief. It’s the Power of 2 -‐-‐ lockout edition.
Hartnell is supporting the Empire State Relief Fund, while van Reimsdyk, a New Jersey native, is supporting the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund. The Power of 2, a fundraising charity initiative dedicated to unlocking celebrity power for social good, has wrangled the two hockey stars to duke it out online – but there’s a catch, the loser has to perform an embarrassing public stunt.
- The Challenge: The Power of 2 allows celebrities to go beyond the usual gala events and use social media as a tool to make meaningful social impact and get their fans involved. And, the bet will make things very interesting. Fans can donate to Scott and James at www.power-of-2.org as many times as they would like up until midnight on Tuesday, December 18th to see who will be crowned the Power of 2 champion.
- The Bet: Both charities will end up winners, but the celebrity loser will have to cash in with a very public dare. Hartnell and JVR, good friends off the ice, are also not getting much wear out of their hockey equipment during the lockout. So, the loser of this Power of 2 will have to suit up. In fact, they’ll have to go holiday shopping for the winner -‐-‐ in full hockey gear!
“Growing up in New Jersey, it’s really important to me to do everything I can to support the families impacted by Hurricane Sandy,” said JVR. “This is just small way I can give back and stay involved in my community. And, this Power of 2 competition, also gives me an opportunity to embarrass Hartsy in public, so there’s some extra motivation.”
“I know JVR is not big fan of having all of the cameras on him, so I’m going to win this Power of 2 to make sure the media is all over him when he pays up,” said Hartnell. “This is also a great chance to support our friends in the Empire State and their efforts to rebuild. The impact of Hurricane Sandy is longer making headlines, but that’s all the more reason for us to give and stay involved.”
- The Prize: There is also something it in for the fans. A chance to meet Hartnell or JVR and go to an NHL game on them! Every time you give or share the campaign, you will earn an entry into a draw for a pair of tickets to an NHL game in Toronto or Philadelphia (as soon as the action gets started again), which will include a meet-‐and-‐great with Scott or James after the game.
The Power of 2 is win-‐win-‐win: Both charities get a big check to support their great work, Scott and James have fun online conversations with their fans and teammates, and fans get an opportunity to engage and support their favorite celebrity and an important social cause, with a chance to win a great prize. Give and share the campaign at www.power-‐of-‐2.org.
That’s the Power of 2.
