BOSTON, May 19, 2014 – Global athletic leader New Balance announced on Monday the call for entry to the second annual Game Changer Award Contest, a scholarship program to recognize student athletes who bring a unique level of excellence to their game and their community. One winner will receive a $10,000 college scholarship as well as $2,500 in New Balance product for a charity or community organization of their choice.
To enter the contest, student athletes 15 years of age or older are invited to submit a written essay detailing his or her efforts to change the game on and off the field, including specific examples of personal involvement on their team and in their community. Four finalists will be selected by New Balance with the help of team NB athletes Nick Swisher, CJ Wilson, and Dustin Pedroia. The finalists will then be asked to document their accomplishments with a video camera. Each video will be available on the Game Changer Award Contest page at www.NBGCAward.com, where the public will be encouraged to vote for the athlete who best exemplifies how they change the game on and off the field.
The winner will be announced at the New Balance Area Code Games on August 7, 2014 in Long Beach (Calif.), a tournament for the top players from across the country.
New Balance has set out to change the game of baseball by sponsoring only those athletes who share our philosophy that doing good off the field is just as important as doing well on the field. “We are proud to associate our brand with athletes who share our values, believe in our brand, and are committed to giving back to their communities,” says Mark Cavanaugh, general manager of sports marketing for New Balance. “New Balance values strength of character as much as we value accolades on the field.”
The inaugural Game Changer Award Contest winner, Marco Burgarello of Sandra Day O’Connor (Phoenix), recently committed to play at the Division 1 level at the College of Holy Cross with the assistance of the Game Changer scholarship.
Game Changer Awards Timeline
• May 17-June 22: Entries accepted via www.NBGCAward.com
• June 25 (on or around): Four finalists notified
• July 21: Public voting begins on four finalist videos on www.NBGCAward.com
• August 5: Last day to vote
• August 7: Winner announced at Area Code Games
This season, more than 500 professional baseball players are wearing New Balance on the field, including Miguel Cabrera, Evan Longoria, Ryan Howard, , Mike Napoli, Yadier Molina, Curtis Granderson and J.J. Hardy.
For a video explanation featuring Dustin Pedroia, CLICK HERE.
For more information, visit www.NBGCAward.com, follow @NB_Baseball on Twitter and like New Balance Baseball on Facebook.
