Call of Duty Endowment Teams up With Snowball Express and Gamestop

Written by Brandon Hofer on October 20, 2016

News: A really great partnership has formed between the Call of Duty Endowment, Snowball Express and Gamestop to help our veterans.

The Call of Duty Endowment and Snowball Express are teaming up with Gamestop for the next few weeks to help support U.S. military veterans and their families. Beginning tomorrow (October 21) and running through November 15, Gamestop will be inviting customers to donate $1, $5 or $10 in stores to help out both the Call of Duty Endowment and Snowball Express.

Dan Goldenberg, Executive Director of the Call of Duty Endowment said, “The unemployment rate for young veterans returning from active duty is nearly triple the national average and underemployment is a massive, unreported issue for them. We’re seeing a huge need for help on the ground through a 26 percent increase in demand for veteran employment services during the past year.” He added, “We are incredibly grateful for GameStop and its customers’ continued support of our work. The money raised as part of this program will go towards getting our veterans the great jobs they need and deserve.”

The Call of Duty Endowment helps veterans re-enter the civilian job market with high-quality careers by supporting groups that prepare veterans for the job market and by raising awareness of the value vets bring to the workplace. Founded by Activision Blizzard's CEO Bobby Kotick, the Endowment has placed more than 25,000 veterans in high-quality jobs since 2009. GameStop has been a supporter of the Endowment since 2012, raising more than $3 million through the sale of Call of Duty Challenge Coins and Dog Tags to help put more than 3,400 vets back to work.
GameStop is also working closely with the Endowment on ways to increase the number of veterans it hires within its family of retail brands.

Snowball Express serves the children and families of America's fallen military service members. Their mission is to honor those service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice since 9/11 by humbly serving the families and children left behind. Each year Snowball Express hosts the largest gathering in the world of children who have all lost a parent while serving our country. More than 1,700 children and surviving spouses attend a special five day holiday program dedicated to help them heal, create hope and happy memories. GameStop has been a sponsor of Snowball Express for many years, providing the ultimate gaming experience for the children and teens attending the annual Snowball Express event.

"We are proud to expand our support of the Call of Duty Endowment and Snowball Express, two charities that have done so much for our military families," said Matt Hodges, Vice President, Corporate Communications for GameStop. "With so many of our associates and customers having a military background, or a family member in the military, it is an honor to help raise much needed funds to help these charities continue the important work they are doing."

The GameStop campaign will be supported by specialized in-store and online promotional materials, online outreach through the company's mobile gaming division, Kongregate, and GameStop's passionate store associates who are committed to giving back to their communities.