TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Sept. 27, 2011) -
Editors Note: A photo for this release will be available via Marketwire on the picture wire of The Canadian Press.
Today, an epic line-up of iconic social activists and inspiring entertainers will take centre stage at the Air Canada Centre for the world's largest youth empowerment event of its kind – We Day. An annual initiative of international children's charity and educational partner, Free The Children, today's event will empower and show thousands of passionate youth from over 1000 schools across North America they are not alone in their journey to make a difference and further ignite a youth-driven movement for global change. Hundreds of thousands more from around the world will join the We Day movement through watching the live stream of the event at www.muchmusic.com/weday starting at 9:30 a.m. EST.
Leading the electrified crowd are hosts international musician Joe Jonas and star of the hit series VAMPIRE DIARIES' Nina Dobrev. To help them tackle some of the most pressing issues of today, youth and educators will have the opportunity to hear from world-renowned speakers like Mary Robinson, first female President of Ireland and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Dr. Patch Adams, social activist, citizen diplomat and author, Danny Glover, award winning actor, film director and political activist and Craig and Marc Kielburger, international children's rights activists and co-founders of Free The Children. Sharing their own personal journeys of overcoming obstacles will be Canadian Paralypian Rick Hansen, aboriginal rights activist Waneek-Horn Miller and Me to We motivational speakers, former child soldier Michel Chikwanine, Spencer West, Noah Kaplan and Robin Wiszowaty. Pumping up the crowd with energizing performances will be Grammy Award winner Nelly Furtado, rappers and producers Classified and Kardinal Offishall, renowned artists Shawn Desman, City and Colour, Nikki Yanofsky and Neverest, and making their Canadian debut, the Kenyan Boys Choir, best known for their performance at President Barack Obama's inauguration ceremony. Closing the show will be a highly anticipated performance from Joe Jonas.
"Youth coming together to lead global change is the movement of our time. We Day proves to youth that a better world is possible and they are not alone in their commitment to social justice," said Craig Kielburger. "Though individual actions may seem small, if you shift your perspective you'll see that together the impact is huge. Last year alone these actions added up to 1.7 million volunteer hours logged and $5.4 million raised for more than 500 causes locally and globally. We Day is truly a movement and a force of social change."
According to Nelly Furtado, everyone can be a part of this movement and help make a difference. "All you have to do to help the world is to follow your heart at all times, which means you will automatically be more brave, truthful, and compassionate, which in turn, will help the world in ways big and small."
Danny Glover agrees. "No matter what the cause, one person can make a difference. One person can inspire another person who will in turn inspire yet another person - all over the world, no matter their age, race or nationality."
Leading this year's We Day dance, today JUNO Award winning Canadian pop icon and producer, Shawn Desman, will launch a Canada-wide contest offering students the opportunity to dance with him at We Day events across Canada through a video contest at AOL.ca/weday.
We Day is free to all students and educators thanks to the generosity of sponsors, including co-title sponsors National Bank Financial and OMERS Worldwide and broadcast partner MuchMusic, part of Bell Media who has partnered with Free The Children on We Day since 2007.
We Day is not just an event. Motivated by powerful speakers and performers, students take the messages learned at We Day back to their peers and begin planning their year of action through a unique educational program provided by Free The Children (www.freethechildren.com/weschools). Through the program they will pledge to take one local and one global action and will be able to see the positive results of their efforts during the school year. This unparalleled educational opportunity has led to increased student engagement in schools and communities and has contributed to a greater commitment to philanthropy, stronger academic achievement and caring school cultures.
Beyond the classroom, everyone can join the We Day movement with one simple action. 'Like' We Day on Facebook (www.facebook.com/weday) and join the over half a million others who receive daily tips and ideas on how to live 'we' every day. Even better, for every 'like' sponsors will donate $1 to Free The Children, up to $1 million dollars.
We Day momentum continues to sweep the country stopping next at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver on October 13, the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium in the Waterloo Region on November 16, the MTS Centre in Winnipeg on November 23 and Théâtre St-Denis in Montreal on February 29 and March 1, 2012.
Both Toronto and Vancouver We Days are being taped for a special to air on MuchMusic, Sunday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. An encore broadcast will air on MuchMusic Sunday, Oct. 30 at 10 p.m. ET.
Note to Press:
Visit the We Day online press room (www.weday.com/press) to:
- Access photos and video clips from today's event as of 3:30 p.m. EST
- Download high resolution photos of We Day speakers and performers
- Request an interview with Co-Founders of Free The Children, Craig and Marc Kielburger
- Access background information on We Day and Free The Children
Web Links:
Official We Day website: www.weday.com
We Day on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/weday
Free The Children website: www.freethechildren.com
Live webcast: www.muchmusic.com/weday
About We Day
About Free The Children
Contact Information:
please contact:
Lauren Stasila
Manager, PR & Publicity
416-558-9310
lauren.stasila@freethechildren.com
