General Jim Mattis, Decorated American Veteran and Former United States Secretary of Defense, Leads the Campaign
The Call of Duty Endowment Has Helped 63,000 Veterans Find Meaningful Jobs
#HireHonor In-Game Celebration Launches Across Recent Call of Duty® Games
SANTA MONICA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Celebrating its tenth anniversary, the Call of Duty Endowment announces its new “Hire. Honor.” campaign.
General James Mattis, Decorated American Veteran and Former United States Secretary of Defense, joins the campaign in a call-to-action Public Service Video which can be viewed at: callofdutyendowment.org/HireHonor. In addition to urging viewers to honor veterans by hiring veterans, General Mattis asserts that the vast majority of veterans who have experienced combat emerge stronger and are even greater assets to our society and the workforce.
The campaign encompasses a variety of programs that support the Endowment, with 100% of Activision proceeds going directly to finding jobs for veterans. The Call of Duty Endowment has funded the placement of more than 63,000 veterans into well-paying, high-quality jobs and expects to place 100,000 veterans in meaningful jobs by 2024.
“It is my great honor to partner with General Mattis and General Jones in honoring our veterans by hiring our veterans,” said Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard and co-founder of the Call of Duty Endowment. “We are committed to finding 100,000 jobs for veterans by 2024.”
To celebrate the 10th anniversary, Call of Duty® players can help veterans in the following ways:
- Starting Monday, Call of Duty®: Mobile will feature an Endowment-themed content pack entitled the Call of Duty Endowment Honor Pack which includes a new skin for in-game items
- Players can participate by watching some of their favorite streamers play Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare on Twitch this Veterans Day. Look for streamers with CODE clan tags to see the Call of Duty Endowment streams. Fans who watch for 1 hour will receive 30 minutes of 2XP. Fans who watch for 2 hours will also receive a Call of Duty Endowment Calling Card.
Gaming superstar Dr Disrespect and basketball legend Klay Thompson are teaming up with Omaze to raise funds for the Call of Duty Endowment. To bring attention to this important cause, they are offering the chance for one lucky fan to play Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare with Dr Disrespect and Klay Thompson, which will be livestreamed on Twitch. The lucky winner will play alongside one of gaming’s most dynamic personalities and one of the greatest three-point shooters in basketball, while supporting the work and mission of the Call of Duty Endowment. Visit Omaze.com/COD for details.
The Call of Duty Endowment has placed more than 63,000 vets in meaningful employment since its inception. The Endowment’s 2018 cost to place a veteran was $522 – providing meaningful employment at 1/6 the cost of US Department of Labor efforts. Nationally, American veterans make an average salary of $49,945, while those placed through the Endowment’s grantees, with their focus on high-quality placements, made an average of $60,750, or 21% more.
According to Dan Goldenberg, Executive Director of the Call of Duty Endowment, “Veterans don’t need or want our pity or hero worship. They are tremendous assets to our society who just need a shot to compete on a level playing field for high-quality jobs. We are more determined than ever to equip veterans to succeed in the civilian job market while reminding employers why it’s in their interest to hire loyal, dedicated, disciplined and hard-working employees.”
Help get veterans back to work: callofdutyendowment.org/help
About the Call of Duty Endowment
The Call of Duty Endowment is a non-profit organization co-founded by Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, and Former National Security Advisor General James Jones. The Endowment seeks to help veterans find high-quality careers by supporting groups that prepare them for the job market and by raising awareness of the value vets bring to the workplace. For more information about the Call of Duty Endowment, please visit www.callofdutyendowment.org.
ACTIVISION and CALL OF DUTY are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.
Contacts
Media Contact
Rachel Kahn
Activision Blizzard
Rachel.Kahn@activision.com
310.581.4733