Grand prize winner Gerald Jimenez chosen out of more than 10,000 entries; will also participate in Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service
9 runner-ups each receive “Good Cards” to donate to charity
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Case Foundation today announced Gerald Jimenez, from Boston, Mass., is the winner of its “Change Begins With Me” campaign giveaway of two tickets to the Inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama and related Inaugural festivities, including tickets to the swearing-in ceremony and Hawaii Inaugural Ball. Jimenez will also take part in the Washington, D.C., Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service on January 19, 2009. The Case Foundation’s year-long civic engagement initiative “Change Begins With Me” was created to transform inauguration excitement into community action throughout the country and to encourage citizens to take responsibility for creating change in their communities.
Jimenez was randomly chosen out of more than 10,000 entries that visited the Case Foundation’s web site (www.casefoundation.org/change) and made a personal commitment by finishing the sentence in 250-characters or less, “Change begins with me. I commit to…”
Jimenez’s submission was, “To empower. To change. To motivate. Giving all the heart, all the creativity, the resources and the life long education invested in me towards the development of inner city youth through the arts.”
“The Case Foundation’s goal for our ‘Change Begins With Me’ campaign is to provide the support for people to re-engage with their communities and to remind them that no action is too big or too small to make a difference,” said Jean Case, CEO of the Case Foundation. “The incredible enthusiasm of Gerald and the more than 10,000 people who took the time and effort to share with us their commitment to make an impact was truly inspiring.”
For more than a year, Jimenez, a native of the Dominican Republic who attended high school in Presque Isle, Maine, has served as a “citizen teacher” and mentor at Citizen Schools, a national network of after-school education programs that expands the learning day for low-income children across the country. The program provides nearly 4,000 middle school students (grades 6th, 7th, and 8th) with hands-on opportunities to engage and learn from approximately 3,200 volunteers in 44 sites. With a passion for the arts, Jimenez, a graduate of Massachusetts College of Art (class of ‘08), has worked with Boston-based students on numerous projects, including developing an award-winning documentary on gang violence.
“When I received the call that I won I was shocked,” said Gerald Jimenez. “I have never been involved in politics before, but I was inspired by President-elect Obama’s campaign to get involved and make a difference. I appreciate that the Case Foundation has given me the opportunity to be able to be a part of this historic event.”
In addition to Jimenez, nine runner-ups were chosen to receive a $50 “Good Card” each where they can donate any dollar amount to the charities of their choice. These winners were located around the nation, including Alcolu, SC; Auburn, CA; Denver, CO; Memphis, TN; Monterey, CA; Upland, CA, Waukegan, IL; Windsor, CA; and Wynne, AR.
As part of the grand-prize, Jimenez will join thousands of other volunteers on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s National Day of Service on January 19, 2009 in Washington, D.C. The Case Foundation, along with the Corporation for National and Community Service, Causes on Facebook, ServiceNation, the Points of Light Institute, and many other leading partners in service, are dedicating themselves to double the number of volunteers to 1 million in this year’s “a day on, not a day off” service. In 2008, more than 500,000 Americans volunteered in 5,000 projects across the nation as a way to transform the life and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. into community service that helps solve critical social challenges. President-Elect Obama energized the day of service mobilization by kicking off his Renew America Together and www.USAservice.org initiatives asking all Americans to serve their communities—starting on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
The Inaugural Festivities giveaway was the beginning of the Case Foundation’s year-long “Change Begins with Me” campaign to transform the inauguration excitement into community action. The Case Foundation will continue to encourage, foster, and connect commitment makers with organizations by offering mini-grants and other incentives, including:
- A survey reporting on the status of commitments;
- Spotlights on inspiring commitments to change;
- An online chat and Q&A series, highlighting government and non-profit leaders at the helm of change efforts; and
- Talk + Action = Change monthly mini-grant competitions for passionate individuals with innovative ideas about simple ways to connect with others in their communities, talk about what is needed, and then take action together.
For the last several years, the Case Foundation has been devoted to developing citizen-centered action and engagement campaigns such as the “Make It Your Own Awards,” “Social Citizens,” and “America’s Giving Challenge.”
ABOUT THE CASE FOUNDATION
The Case Foundation, created by Steve and Jean Case in 1997, invests in people and ideas that can change the world. The Foundation champions initiatives that connect people, increase giving, and catalyze civic action. For more information, visit www.casefoundation.org.
