Sony Computer Entertainment America and the Bruce Willis Foundation Announce PlayStation® BANDtogether
PlayStation Generation Gives Back to the World's Youth With the Help of Bruce, Rumer, Scout and Tallulah Willis, Tony Hawk, Dave Navarro, Bam Margera, and More by Raising Money for Hollywood for Habitat for Humanity and Save the Children, and Awareness fo
PRNewswire
FOSTER CITY, Calif.
12/05/2005
Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. announced today it is joining forces with the Bruce Willis Foundation, a charitable organization aimed at improving the lives of young people, to produce PlayStation® BANDtogether. Taking place December 10, PlayStation BANDtogether music and gaming festival will bring celebrities and teens together to compete for a cause and raise money and awareness for Hollywood for Habitat for Humanity and Save the Children, and to support ONE: The Campaign to Make Poverty History. Rumer, Scout and Tallulah Willis will host the event and hope to empower today's youth to give back to their communities.
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With more than 30 percent of gamers under the age of 18, this holiday the PlayStation generation is not only enjoying themselves with the advent of new technologies such as PlayStation®2 and PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable), they are reacting to the needs of their country and making a difference through donation. According to a recent G.A.P (The Gamer Advisory Panel) survey conducted by the PlayStation Loyalty Group, 73 percent of the PlayStation community recently donated time or money to a charitable cause. Additionally, 80 percent of the PlayStation community plans to donate time or money to a charitable cause this holiday season.
Sony Computer Entertainment America and the Bruce Willis Foundation hope to use PlayStation BANDtogether as an additional opportunity for teens and young adults to support and educate themselves on organizations that are dedicated to bettering the lives of young people in need.
"Even as we enter our busiest selling season of the year, as an organization we must learn about the issues that impact our demographic, and the communities in which they live," said Jack Tretton, executive vice president, Sony Computer Entertainment America. "By joining efforts with the Bruce Willis Foundation, we hope to raise awareness of these important charities and encourage others to support organizations that impact the lives of children."
"My daughters and I have been moved by the recent tragedies that have impacted our nation, and they have shown us that now is a time to react and support those in need," said Bruce Willis. "Through the PlayStation partnership, the Bruce Willis Foundation will be able to reach even further into the community and educate young people on how they too can make a difference."
PlayStation BANDtogether features and events include: -- Competition to Benefit Hollywood for Habitat for Humanity and Save the Children Tony Hawk, Bam Margera, Bruce, Rumer, Scout and Tallulah Willis, and a team of celebrities will compete through four challenges that will test their gaming, athletic and artistic abilities. Dave Navarro and Sal Masekela will emcee as competitors race, duck, slap and sing their way to win the first place charitable contribution to benefit Hollywood for Habitat for Humanity and Save the Children. -- Half-Pipe A live sports area will bring gaming to life and offer kids a chance to watch the hottest skateboarders pull the coolest tricks. -- Scratch DJ Academy Hosted by LP Kids will be able to count DJing as one of their skills after they hit the Scratch DJ Academy and learn how to scratch from one of DJing's brightest stars, LP. Kids will get to take their mixes home on CD to share with all their friends or download to their PSPs. -- Musical Performances by Hot Hot Heat, The Bravery, Travis Barker and DJ AM, The Like, and Driveblind PlayStation BANDtogether guests will be entertained throughout the day with energetic live performances from some of music's most buzzed-about acts, including indie rock stars Hot Hot Heat and The Bravery, as well as rising stars The Like and Driveblind. In addition, the event will feature an electrifying dual performance by spinning's biggest star, DJ AM, and one of rock's most inventive drummers, Blink-182's Travis Barker. -- Gaming and Activity Areas Interactive activity areas include PSP and PlayStation 2 gaming, that will give attendees the chance to play some of the latest and hottest games, including Tourist Trophy, Ape Escape® Academy, The Con, Ratchet: Deadlocked™ and Jak X: Combat Racing™. Additionally, creative expression will flow at the Quiksilver t-shirt customization booth, where kids can design their own tees, the henna tattoo station, and at Smashbox make-up booths where they can try out the latest trends in cosmetics. About the Bruce Willis Foundation
Founded 10 years ago by actor Bruce Willis, the Bruce Willis Foundation aims to help improve the lives of young people by empowering children to express themselves in creative ways and providing the support they need to reach their full potential. Organizations that have benefited from the foundation include foster care and adoption programs such as the National Foster Care Fund and the Fostering a Future Program.
About Hollywood for Habitat for Humanity
Launched in 2000, Hollywood for Habitat for Humanity was founded by screenwriter/director Randall Wallace to involve the entertainment industry in raising money, publicity, and volunteer support for Habitat for Humanity's mission of eliminating poverty housing and homelessness from the world and making decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. HFHFH has sponsored more than 150 homes around the world from Los Angeles to New York and Northern Ireland to South Africa. Past supporters include Patricia Arquette, David Arquette, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Seth Green, Paige Hemmis, Dustin Hoffman, Greg Kinnear, Chris Klein, Constance Marie, Barry Pepper, Susan Sarandon, Maria Shriver, Stanley Tucci, Bradley Whitford, and Robin Williams. For more information, log on to www.hollywoodforhabitat.com.
About Save the Children
Save the Children is the leading independent organization creating lasting change for children in need in the United States and around the world. Save the Children USA is a member of the International Save the Children Alliance, a global network of 27 independent Save the Children organizations working to ensure the well-being and protection of children in more than 110 countries.
About ONE: The Campaign to Make Poverty History
ONE: The Campaign to Make Poverty History is an historic effort by Americans to rally Americans, ONE by ONE, to beat AIDS and make poverty history. ONE is a coalition of more than 1.5 million Americans, founded by 11 of the nation's leading relief and advocacy organizations: Bread for the World, CARE, DATA, International Medical Corps, International Rescue Committee, Mercy Corps, Oxfam America, Plan USA, Save the Children US, World Concern, and World Vision. For more information, please visit www.one.org.
About Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. continues to redefine the entertainment lifestyle with its PlayStation® and PS one™ game console, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and the PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) system. The PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system is set to revolutionize the home entertainment market, offering the most compelling interactive content and the capability to be used as a network terminal in the coming broadband era. PSP is a new portable entertainment system that allows users to enjoy 3D games, with high-quality full-motion video, and high-fidelity stereo audio.
Recognized as the undisputed industry leader, Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. markets the PlayStation family of products and develops, publishes, markets and distributes software for the PS one game console, the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and the PSP system for the North American market. Based in Foster City, Calif. Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. serves as headquarters for all North American operations and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Visit us on the Web at http://www.us.playstation.com/
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SOURCE: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
CONTACT: Jennifer Clark of Sony Computer Entertainment, +1-650-655-5994,
or jennifer_clark@playstation.sony.com; or Katie Cray, +1-310-854-4800, or
kcray@bncpr.com, for Sony
Web site: http://www.one.org/
Web site: http://www.hollywoodforhabitat.com/
Web site: http://www.playstation.com/