To celebrate the November 9 worldwide launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops, Activision held a star-studded event headlined by Grammy-Award winning band Metallica and hosted by Zach Braff, on Thursday, November 4 at Hangar 8 in Santa Monica to benefit The Call of Duty Endowment.
Honoring service members from the six branches of the military, Activision pledged to find 1,000 jobs for veterans and gave $1 million to The Call of Duty Endowment, which helps soldiers transition to civilian life by providing them with job training and placement. Service members were among the first to play Call of Duty: Black Ops and participated in a multiplayer tournament where they raised $1 million for The Call of Duty Endowment.
“Call of Duty is one of the biggest of all entertainment franchises that uniquely pays tribute to the courage, dedication, and sacrifice of those who defend our nation and our freedom around the world,” said Bobby Kotick, CEO, Activision Blizzard. “It is especially popular among service members at home and abroad, which is why we are honored to have this event highlight the critical issue of veterans unemployment and make our own contributions to the cause. A few years ago, after hearing about the magnitude of this problem, I established The Call of Duty Endowment with the goal of securing thousands of jobs for the men and women who have so ably served our country and protected our freedom.”
A non-profit organization launched in November 2009, The Call of Duty Endowment seeks to help soldiers transition to civilian careers after their military service. The endowment focuses its resources on assisting organizations that provide job placement and training to veterans, as well as engaging the media and public forums to raise awareness about the issue. Since its inception, The Call of Duty Endowment has already distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants and scholarships to various organizations and schools across the country addressing the employment challenges of veterans.
