Josh Groban, Sophia Bush, Hunter Biden and Debi Mazar & Gabriele Corcos Commit to Live Below the Line
Celebrities and Influencers are Committing to Live on $1.50 for Food/Drink to Raise Funds and Awareness for People Living in Extreme Poverty Around the World
NEW YORK, NY, April 10, 2013 – Today, The Global Poverty Project announced that Josh Groban, Sophia Bush, Hunter Biden and husband and wife Cooking Channel personalities Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos have committed to take the 2013 Live Below the Line challenge by living on $1.50 of food and drink for at least one day between April 29 and May 2 to raise awareness about extreme poverty. Live Below the Line aims to help people better empathize with the challenge that 1.4 billion people face, and encourages global citizens to participate and raise funds to support the partner organizations.
Extreme poverty affects over 1.4 billion people, and $1.50 is the current equivalent of the accepted global figure used to define extreme poverty. By living on $1.50 for food and drink for at least one day, Josh Groban, Sophia Bush, Hunter Biden and Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos, along with the thousands of supporters around the globe, will encourage people to join them to take the challenge and support the ten nonprofit organizations doing life changing work around the world, including Opportunity International, World Food Program USA, Happy Hearts Fund, U.S. Fund for UNICEF, The ISIS Foundation, GVN Foundation, CARE, The Somaly Mam Foundation, Rainforest Foundation and Milaap.
“I’ll be asking friends and family to support me as I Live Below the Line, raising funds together that will help the United Nations World Food Programme feed school children in some of the world’s poorest countries,” said Hunter Biden, Chairman of World Food Program USA. “I’ve seen firsthand how school feeding can change the life of a child in my travels to places like the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya. At just 25 cents a meal, school meals have the power to break the cycle of hunger, giving children the chance to learn, grow and reach their full potential.”
Josh Groban had such an eye-opening experience participating in last year’s Live Below the Line campaign, not only did he sign up again this year, but Groban also wrote a song on his new album inspired by Live Below the Line. “Taking on this challenge last year was such a humbling experience for me, and I was so proud and heartened by my fans that joined me. I wanted to capture this in Below the Line, which was inspired by this experience. It’s amazing how much we take for granted not having to live in hunger, and I am honored to have been asked to help spread the word about this eye-opening campaign again this year.”
“Last year we had over 15,000 people participate, and raised over $3 million,” said Michael Trainer, U.S. Country Director of The Global Poverty Project. “We’re excited to leverage the support The Global Poverty Project has received from the campaign last year, and the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park.”
Live Below the Line is an innovative awareness and fundraising social media campaign that aims to spark dialogue about current victories in poverty reduction and the potential for the future. The campaign has seen overwhelming celebrity support since coming to the US three years ago, including Hugh Jackman, Minka Kelly, Malin Akerman, Nick Lachey, Josh Groban, Kevin Connolly and now Sophia Bush.
Please follow the campaign on Twitter @WFPUSA, @LBLUS and on the Live Below the Line US YouTube channel.
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ABOUT THE GLOBAL POVERTY PROJECT
Best known for the 2012 Global Citizen Festival in Central Park, NYC, The Global Poverty Project is an international education and advocacy organization working to catalyze the movement to end extreme poverty. An Australian grown project, The Global Poverty Project creates campaigns with the purpose to increase the number and effectiveness of people taking action to end extreme poverty, with the vision of a world without extreme poverty, within a generation. Join the conversation on Facebook, follow @TheGPP and visit: www.globalpovertyproject.com.
Media Contacts: Amelia Gingold Gingold@sunshinesachs.com | Cristin Klein Klein@sunshinesachs.com | 212.691.2800
