StubHub Awards Toronto’s UNITY $50,000 as its First Canadian ‘Rising Star’

StubHub, the world’s largest ticket marketplace, today announced it has selected Toronto-based charity UNITY as the first Canadian recipient of its Rising Star award. StubHub Rising Stars is an international philanthropic program spotlighting outstanding grassroots charities improving access and opportunity for at-risk youth through sports and the arts.

Founded by world-renowned Canadian break-dancer Michael Prosserman, UNITY is a charitable organization teaching young people to use artistic self expression to make positive life choices. Currently engaging some 30,000 youth each year, its aim is to foster more productive citizens, safer schools and ultimately, healthier communities.

StubHub’s Rising Stars award comes with $50,000 in grant funding over two years from the StubHub Foundation (a corporate advised fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation), which UNITY will apply to its after school and arts-based leadership programming at underserved high schools in the Greater Toronto area.

“From Michael Bublé to Drake, a variety of Canadian artistic talents today are providing tremendous inspiration to our youth,” said StubHub’s Anthony Lipschitz, Canada Country Manager. “Yet sadly, too many young people are denied access to the arts due to a lack of resources. StubHub is proud to support UNITY in helping to fill that void.”

“Living in an ever-changing society, many youth struggle to find a place to positively express their voice. UNITY helps provide an outlet for young people to speak up and tell their stories in a powerful way, through the arts,” said UNITY Founder and Executive Director Michael Prosserman. “StubHub’s support will help us extend our reach across Canada and positively impact more youth who might otherwise never have had a safe place to express themselves.”

StubHub’s Rising Stars program was founded in January 2013 to support outstanding charities in major markets where StubHub operates throughout North America and in Europe. The program is designed to have a transformative impact on both the awardees and the youth they serve by filling critical funding gaps that can drive program expansion on a local level. Together with its other corporate social responsibility programs, StubHub and the StubHub Foundation have donated more than US$1.5 million in the past two years to a variety of charities.

For more about StubHub’s Rising Stars program, visit http://www.stubhub.com/community-pages/. For more about UNITY, visit www.unitycharity.com.

About StubHub

StubHub is the world's largest ticket marketplace, enabling fans to buy and sell tickets to tens of thousands of sports, concert, theater and other live entertainment events. StubHub reinvented the ticket resale market in 2000 and continues to lead it through innovation. The company's unique online marketplace, dedicated solely to tickets, provides all fans the choice to buy or sell their tickets in a safe, convenient and highly reliable environment. All transactions are processed and delivered by StubHub and backed by the company’s FanProtect Guarantee. Company partners include the Ottawa Senators and the Rogers Cup Tennis tournament, along with over 60 teams in the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and NCAA, complemented with companies such as ESPN, AEG, Tickets.com, and Paciolan.

StubHub is an eBay company (NASDAQ:EBAY). For more information on StubHub, visit StubHub.com, Twitter.com/StubHub, Facebook.com/StubHub, or YouTube.com/StubHub.

About UNITY

UNITY is a Toronto based charity that engages and empowers youth to be good role models and leaders in their communities through arts programing. Reaching over 30,000 students across Canada every year, UNITY engages youth 10 to 18 by implementing school and community programs helping youth positively express their stress and develop skills for success. UNITY empowers youth to make better choices as leaders, mentors and positive community role models leading to more productive citizens, safer schools, and healthier communities.

For more information about UNITY, visit www.unitycharity.com or follow @unitycharity