Charity Miles Launches Mobile App to Raise Money for Charity

Gene Gurkoff, Charity Miles - 7/20/2012

For Immediate Release

Contact: Gene Gurkoff, 917-902-2450
gene@charitymiles.org

CHARITY MILES LAUNCHES GAME-CHANGING MOBILE APP THAT ENABLES PEOPLE TO EARN MONEY FOR CHARITY WHILE WALKING, RUNNING OR BIKING

New York, NY, July 17, 2012 – Charity Miles is a new iPhone and Android app that enables people to earn money for charity while walking, running or biking.  The app launches this week and allows people to earn money for nine of the world’s top charities, including: (1) Achilles International (2) Autism Speaks; (3) Feeding America; (4) The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; (5) Habitat for Humanity; (6) The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research; (7) The Nature Conservancy; (8) Pencils of Promise; and (9) The United Nations World Food Programme.

The app is free and simple to use.  No special event is required.  People just launch the app, choose a charity and either walk, run or bike.  The selected charity then earns money for every mile covered.  Walkers and runners earn 25¢ per mile; bikers earn 10¢ per mile, all up to an initial $1,000,000. Charity Miles, LLC is backing the initial $1,000,000 and issuing a worldwide challenge to see if people can earn it for the charities within a year. 

At the same time, the company is also aiming to increase the $1,000,000 sponsorship pool by attracting corporate sponsors.  Even before the app has launched, the company is well into discussions with several world class brands that see Charity Miles as a powerful way to both: (i) have a positive impact on the world; and (ii) have a meaningful marketing impact while doing so.  Wasserman Media Group, one of the world’s leading sports and entertainment marketing agencies, is representing the company in these discussions.

More than 11 million Americans walked, ran or biked for charity last year, collectively raising over $1 billion from friends and family.  But by themselves, individuals are usually unable to attract corporate sponsors.

Charity Miles’ founders set out to solve this problem by aggregating the supporters from several of the world’s top charities and creating a platform that empowers them to collaboratively attract corporate sponsors.  As the program grows, they plan to include other charities in the app as well. 

“By working together, we can all become sponsored athletes,” says founder Gene Gurkoff.  “Just like the pros, but for charity.  And there are a lot more of us than there are pro athletes.  So, just imagine how we can change the world.”

“I think this Charity Miles app is a great idea," says Kenyan marathon legend and New York City Marathon winner, Paul Tergat.  "Runners like me can help end hunger with the World Food Programme. I grew up with school lunches from WFP- they changed my life. Let’s do the same for more children!”

Doug Montgomery, Managing Director of Corporate Partnerships for Feeding America, agrees.  “We are very excited about Charity Miles,” he says.  “It’s a game-changer.”

Charity Miles is now available to download for free in the iPhone and Android.  More information and explanatory (embeddable) videos are available on the company’s blog.