12 Athletes Start New Effort to Promote Philanthropy

By Ian Wilhelm

The cyclist Lance Armstrong, the tennis player Andre Agassi, and 10 other sports stars announced

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today that they have formed a new charity to educate professional athletes, sports fans, and others on the importance of philanthropy.

The group, known as Athletes for Hope, plans to encourage young, lesser-known athletes to support whatever charitable cause they are drawn to, and then design programs that help them raise money and attention.

"The basic premise of the organization is to take the passion for philanthropy these 12 great athletes have and pass that passion on to their fellow athletes," said Ivan Blumberg, chief executive officer of the new organization, in Washington. He said Athletes for Hope will focus on the "second- and third-tier" athletes, instead of well-known national superstars who may already have established their own charitable projects.

The founders of the group donated a total of $500,000 to start Athletes for Hope, which has three other staff members aside from Mr. Blumberg. The organization plans to sell $8 "AFH Tags" — dog-tag-like necklaces — and other merchandise on its Web site to support its operations.

Members of Athletes for Hope recently met with the U.S. women's soccer team. After the session, all 18 soccer players agreed to permit the group to help them find ways to pursue their charitable interests.

Athletes for Hope will also promote opportunities for anyone to volunteer on its Web site and it plans to encourage companies to donate money or contribute in other ways to charitable efforts backed by athletes.

The endeavor is the brainchild of Mr. Armstrong, Mr. Agassi, and the soccer star Mia Hamm, who were all giving time and money to good causes but wanted to increase their "impact exponentially" by joining together, said Mr. Blumberg.

The dozen co-founders of the organization span the world of sports and include hockey players, a skate boarder, and a Nascar driver. Besides the three original members, the group includes Muhammad Ali, Warrick Dunn, Jeff Gordon, Tony Hawk, Andrea Jaeger, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Mario Lemieux, Alonzo Mourning, and Cal Ripken Jr.

Such a gathering of sports icons is a potent fund-raising tool. According to Mr. Blumberg, the dozen stars have garnered more than $500-million for the causes they support, including programs to fight cancer, build hospitals, and provide scholarships to children from poor neighborhoods.

Mr. Blumberg said that the 12 sports figures will continue to give money and time to Athletes for Hope, as well as their own personal causes.