eBay and ESPN have been partnering for more than a decade to host the annual ESPY Day Auction which took place from July 5 through July 12 raising more than half a million dollars for the V Foundation for Cancer Research. For the very first time this year, the eBay for Charity ESPY Day campaign also included a charity sweepstakes to give one lucky winner and a guest the chance to attend this year’s ESPYS in Los Angeles and meet the show’s host – legendary Super Bowl champion quarterback, Peyton Manning.
This year’s sweepstakes winner was Michael Shaffer of Florida, who brought his daughter Anna as his guest. Shaffer is an avid eBay buyer and seller. As part of their prize package, Michael and Anna received red carpet access to the awards show, VIP tickets to the after party, a private meet-and-greet and photo opportunity with Peyton, a backstage tour of the ESPYS production, not to mention flights, hotels and meals in Los Angeles. They qualified for the sweepstakes by donating to the V Foundation through eBay for Charity, which aims to make once-in-a-lifetime experiences available to all eBay buyers via the sweepstakes program.
“It was an amazing experience,” Michael said. “When I first told my daughter Anna that we had won, we didn’t think it was real. She kept asking me ‘are we really here?”
“I’ve never won anything before,” he added. “Meeting Peyton was everything we wanted it to be. He is an amazing individual and we appreciate him making time for us.” You can take a peek at Michael and Anna’s meet-and-greet with Peyton below:
ESPN Radio and their show hosts, including Mike Greenberg and Dan Le Batard, also helped get the word out to their fans about the ESPYS charity sweepstakes and auction. Articles promoting the charity campaign appeared in media outlets ranging from Men’s Health Magazine to MarketWatch to The Street.
The partnership with ESPN is stewarded by eBay for Charity, one of our Global Impact initiatives. "At eBay, we're committed to inspiring our shoppers to not only embrace and express their individuality, but to easily connect to the causes and charities they care about," said Chris Librie, eBay's Senior Director of Global Impact. “We are proud that this year’s auction will make a meaningful difference in funding cancer research through the V Foundation.”
About the V Foundation for Cancer Research
The V Foundation for Cancer Research is dedicated to declaring victory over cancer. It was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, legendary North Carolina State Basketball coach and ESPN commentator. Since 1993, the Foundation has funded more than $170 million in cancer research grants nationwide. It awards 100 percent of all direct cash donations to cancer research and related programs. Due to generous donors, the Foundation has an endowment that covers administrative expenses. Not a Moment to Lose, its boldest fundraising campaign to date, aims to raise $200 million for cancer research by 2020 to help transform the prevention, detection and treatment of cancer. The Foundation awards peer-reviewed grants through a competitive awards process vetted by a world-renowned Scientific Advisory Committee. For more information on the V Foundation, please visit www.jimmyv.org.