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Olympic Athletes Want Your (Financial) Support

It’s almost 2016, and before you know it, consumers will be asked to tweet, share, like and otherwise support the U.S. Olympic Team as it heads to the summer games in Rio de Janeiro. But before that, the athletes themselves are asking for a little financial help. 

In concert with Giving Tuesday, the U.S. Olympic Committee and its fundraising arm, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Foundation, are launching a digital campaign to support the athletes, many of whom pursue their dreams while holding down jobs where flexibility is more prized than income. 

“We need American support of our Olympic athletes for them to be able to compete on the international stage,” Jon Denney, chief development officer for the USOPF, tells Marketing Daily. “Most of our Olympic hopefuls make less than $20,000 a year, which is far less than they need to compete.”

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In keeping with the holiday spirit, the campaign features Olympians holding signs asking fans to be their “Secret Santa” and donate money to be used for training and competition through the organization’s Team USA Registry. The registry, launched earlier this year, features items tied to a specific dollar amount for people to give (such as $15 for a healthy dinner or $100 for a heart-rate monitor). 

For the seven-day effort, the athletes are seen posing with a sign asking for a donation. Gymnast John Orozco, for instance, is shown in a Santa hat and under mistletoe with the message: “Grips is at the top of our wish list this season.” Other examples include Missy Franklin asking for a new swimsuit and Natalie Coughlin wishing for “healthy food.”

“This effort we’re starting is a concentrated effort to promote the Foundation and our Olympic athletes,” Denney says. “It’s part of a broader focus on our Team USA fund, which will last throughout the Rio games and beyond.”

The athletes will be pushing the photos through their social media channels over the next week, and they will be supported by paid social media advertising. The USOC hopes to raise $75,000 during the one-week campaign, which will be matched by an anonymous donor, for a total of $150,000.

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