Citi Launches Citi Bike for Good to Support Three of New York City’s Leading Not-for-Profit Organizations
Month-Long Citi Bike Initiative Can Raise up to $50,000 Each for the
American Red Cross, No Kid Hungry and YMCA of Greater New York
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Citi today announced Citi Bike® for Good, a month-long
initiative enabling Citi Bike riders to support three of New York City’s
most impactful not-for-profit organizations when they ride. Between
September 16 and October 16, every Citi Bike ride will support the
American Red Cross, No Kid Hungry® and the YMCA of Greater New York.
During Citi Bike for Good, hundreds of specially-branded bicycles
will hit the streets. Citi will kick off the activation with a base
donation of $10,000 for each charity and will follow with up to $40,000
in additional donations to the respective organizations based on
ridership during the initiative.
“The Citi Bike program has become a mobile landmark of New York City,
and we are thrilled to use it as a platform to raise awareness of and
generate support for three organizations making a real difference in the
lives of millions of people,” said Paula Kelley, Managing Director, Citi
Cards. “Citi Bike for Good will provide a fun and healthy way for
New Yorkers and visitors to help us support these important causes.
Whether you are an avid Citi Bike user or a first-timer, now is the time
to hop on a bike and help us meet the Citi Bike for Good
challenges.”
“For more than 100 years the Red Cross has helped New Yorkers following
unexpected emergencies large and small,” said Josh Lockwood, Regional
CEO of the American Red Cross Greater New York Region. “We are grateful
to Citi for its long-standing support of our humanitarian mission and
are proud to kick off this initiative with the Citi Bike program today.
Thank you to all who will ride Citi Bikes to support the Red Cross and
our terrific partners over these next few weeks. And please, be safe and
wear a bike helmet.”
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Citi to bring us closer to
achieving our goal of creating a No Kid Hungry nation,” said Share Our
Strength Founder and CEO Billy Shore. “This initiative is another great
example of its dedication and commitment to ending childhood hunger.
We’ve made real, lasting progress, and with Citi’s support we can take
that progress to the next level.”
“The YMCA is dedicated to the health and well-being of communities
across our great City, and we are thrilled to be supported by the Citi
Bike program, which has done an excellent job of making it easier than
ever for New Yorkers to exercise on-the-go,” said Sharon Greenberger,
President & CEO, YMCA of Greater New York. “The funds raised through
this partnership will help ensure that we can continue offering the Y’s
health services and benefits to those most in need.”
During Citi Bike for Good, any Citi Bike ride – on a specially
branded bicycle or a traditional Citi Bike bicycle – will be counted
toward the program’s goal of surpassing total riders during the same
period in 2014 – 1 million rides. If the goal is met, Citi will
contribute an additional $25,000 to each not-for-profit organization.
Citi will host additional Pulse Ridership Challenges to encourage
overall participation. These challenges will be worth a bonus of $5,000
per organization if the goals are met, resulting in an additional
possible $15,000 total donation. The specific ridership goals for the
Pulse Ridership Challenges will be announced during the month. The
challenges will include:
-
Super Commuters Challenge: Rides in a work week, September 21 –
September 25 -
Weekend Warrior Challenge: Rides in a weekend, October 3 and
October 4 -
Interborough Explorers Challenge: Borough-to-borough rides,
October 7 – October 11
“New Yorkers have ridden Citi Bike over 21 million times, showing just
how much they have embraced bike share as a mode of transportation,”
said NYC DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “This month, we encourage
New Yorkers to continue to ride Citi Bike, which will have an added
benefit of helping three great charities.”
“With each of the over 36 million miles pedaled, Citi Biker riders have
done good for their bodies and their city,” said Motivate CEO Jay
Walder. “This month we encourage more people to give Citi Bike a try to
help these great charities do good for more New Yorkers.”
To help New Yorkers meet the Citi Bike for Good challenge, Citi will
distribute free Citi Bike day passes at its new branch on 52nd Street
between 5th and 6th Avenues in Manhattan on
September 16th, 17th and 18th from
10:00 AM to 6:00 PM while supplies last.
Citi has strong ties to – and a deep history of support for – all three
not-for-profit organizations.
-
American Red Cross: Citi has worked with the American Red Cross
to fund, implement and initiate relief and service efforts for nearly
a century. Today, Citi Foundation is a member of the American Red
Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program, supporting disaster relief
operations in the United States and around the world. Citi and the
Citi Foundation have supported these efforts through employee
volunteerism and direct financial support of more than $18 million
since 2003. -
No Kid Hungry: In December 2014, Citi become one of Share Our
Strength’s Core Partners for its No Kid Hungry campaign, supporting
the organization’s mission to ensure that no child in the United
States goes hungry. Earlier this month, Citi launched the second part
of its fundraising campaign to donate up to $1 million to No Kid
Hungry this year — enough to provide 10 million healthy meals to
children in need. -
YMCA of Greater New York: Citi and the Citi Foundation began
its work with the YMCA of Greater New York more than 25 years ago to
support its renowned youth development and healthy living programs. In
recent years, Citi has supported the organization’s Strong Kids
Campaign and Y Schools project, as well as other financial education,
economic empowerment and after school programs.
To learn more about Citi Bike for Good and get updates on
ridership and details on the challenges, follow or join the conversation
on social media at #citibikeforgood and @CitiBikeNYC.
About Citi
Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer
accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions.
Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with
a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer
banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities
brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management.
Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com |
Twitter: @Citi | YouTube:www.youtube.com/citi |
Blog: http://blog.citigroup.com |
Facebook: www.facebook.com/citi |
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/citi
© 2015 Citigroup Inc. Citi, Citi and Arc Design, Citibank and Citi Bike
are registered service marks of Citigroup Inc.
Contacts
Media:
Citi:
Andrew Brent, 212-559-1299
andrew.brent@citi.com
or
American
Red Cross:
Michael deVulpillieres, 646-345-2868
media.GNY@redcross.org
or
No
Kid Hungry:
Jennifer Kaleba, 202-734-3535
or
YMCA of
Greater New York:
Jen Hoffer, 212-630-9662
jhoffer@ymcanyc.org
or
NYCDOT:
Scott
Gastel/Bonny Tsang, 212-839-4850
or
Motivate/NYC Bike Share:
Dani
Simons, 347-916-0215
danisimons@motivateco.com
