PASS initiative turns every successful pass in the UEFA Europa
League competition into funding for education contributing to UNICEF’s efforts to enable
access for children to one million days of education
LONDON – December 11, 2013 – The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU), a leader in global payment
services and a Global Partner of the UEFA Europa League, today announced that, as the Group Stage in this
season’s competition comes to an end, over 250,000 successful passes have been
made since the launch of its three-season PASS
initiative in September 2012.
With the PASS initiative, Western Union and the Western Union Foundation, in collaboration with UNICEF, are turning every successful pass in the
UEFA Europa League into funding for better education, harnessing the power of
football to support vulnerable children around the world.
At the end of last
season, the PASS fund totaled 178,231
passes, a figure which has now reached 282,568 since the 2013/14 season started
on September 19, 2013.
 |
| Tottenham Hotspurs Sandro Raniere |
The top 5
clubs/players for passing in the UEFA Europa League 2013/14 season to date are
as
follows[1]:
Leading Passing Teams Leading
Passing Players
1. Tottenham
Hotspur FC (3,673) 1.
Mousa Dembélé, Tottenham Hotspur FC (451)
2. Swansea City
AFC (3,269) 2.
Jeffrey Gouweleeuw, AZ Alkmaar (352)
3. AZ
Alkmaar (2,663) 3.
Thanos Petsos, SK Rapid Wien (346)
4. Valencia CF (2,651) 4. Alexandros Tziolis, PAOK FC
(340)
5. PSV Eindhoven
(2,532) 5.
Jan Wuytens, AZ Alkmaar (337)
In
September, Western Union announced that Jamaica, Nigeria and Turkey were the
first countries to receive funding raised by the PASS initiative. In Jamaica, PASS
is supporting UNICEF programs aiming to achieve high levels of attendance,
retention, numeracy and literacy among secondary school children with a focus
on adolescent boys. In Nigeria, Western Union is helping increase the number of
qualified female teachers and, in turn, the enrollment of female students,
contributing to UNICEF’s efforts to meet the country’s need for 1.3 million
more[2]
qualified teachers in the country. In Turkey, funding raised by the PASS initiative is being used to ensure
disadvantaged children and ethnic minorities have access to a quality secondary
education, with a focus on rural and low income areas where
only 30 percent of children attend secondary school.
 |
| Tottenham Hotspurs Sandro Raniere |
As part of Western
Union’s three-year partnership with UNICEF, Brazil will be a future recipient
of funding from the PASS initiative.
Brazilian
International and Tottenham Hotspur FC midfielder, Sandro Raniere said: “The
Western Union PASS scheme means a lot
to me because we can help children go to school, and children in Brazil need
this help as some children are very poor”.
“It means a lot to
me also because I am from Brazil so I can help children from my home country
and around the world. I’m so happy on the pitch doing my job and helping people
around the world. Tottenham are the highest passing team this season and that
is amazing – I feel great, helping people, it’s amazing”.
Patrick Gaston,
president of The Western Union Foundation, commented: “Since the PASS initiative commenced in September
2012, we have experienced an outstanding level of support from players, fans
and customers, which has been instrumental in allowing us to not only use the
power and reach of football to build awareness of the global education
challenge, but to also start to make a real difference to young people and
their communities. PASS is a key
part of Western Union’s Education for Better campaign for secondary and
vocational education, and it is fantastic to see the positive impact funding
from this initiative is making in the countries that need it most.”
About Western Union
The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a leader in global payment
services. Together with its Vigo, Orlandi Valuta, Pago Facil and Western Union
Business Solutions branded payment services, Western Union provides consumers
and businesses with fast, reliable and convenient ways to send and receive
money around the world, to send payments and to purchase money orders. As
of September 30, 2013, the Western Union, Vigo and Orlandi Valuta branded
services were offered through a combined network of approximately 515,000 agent
locations in 200 countries and territories and approximately 115,000
ATMs. In 2012, The Western Union Company completed 231 million
consumer-to-consumer transactions worldwide, moving $79 billion of principal
between consumers, and 432 million business payments. For more information,
visit www.westernunion.com.
About the Western Union
Foundation
The Western Union Foundation is dedicated to creating a better
world, where the ability to realize dreams through economic opportunity is not
just a privilege for the few but a right for all. Through its signature program, Education for
Better, and with the support of The Western Union Company, its employees,
Agents, and business partners, The Western Union Foundation works to realize this
vision by supporting education and disaster relief efforts as pathways toward a
better future. Our combined social
ventures efforts make life better for individuals, families and communities
around the world. Since its inception,
The Western Union Foundation has committed more than $91.2 million in grants
and other giving to more than 2,682 nongovernmental organizations in more than
133 countries and territories. The Western Union Foundation is a separate
§501(c)(3) recognized United States charity.
To learn more, visit www.westernunionfoundation.org.
About
Western Union’s UEFA Europa League Sponsorship
In July 2012, Western Union
announced a three year deal as the new Global Partner and the Presenting
Sponsor of the UEFA Europa League. This sponsorship of the world’s largest club
competition, comprising 193 professional football teams from 53 countries,
provides Western Union with a unique opportunity for worldwide brand
visibility, with the competition broadcast in more than 200 countries and
territories, and enjoying a global live match unique reach of 634 million per
season. This will allow Western Union, with its extensive network of
approximately 515,000 Agent locations in over 200 countries and territories, to
engage its customers and Agents in the excitement of the UEFA Europa
League. The agreement also provides
video, digital and social media content opportunities, and use of the UEFA
Europa League brand assets. This partnership will run to the UEFA Europa League
Final in 2015.
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