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The Meningitis Vaccines: What Parents of Adolescents Should Know

YourUpdateTV

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/OpbXUBrzUA4 According to the CDC, COVID-19 disrupted routine well-child visits for many children over the last year. As a result, too many children have fallen behind on receiving recommended vaccines – and that includes adolescents and young adults. If young adults are not receiving these recommended vaccinations, they are now vulnerable to infectious, potentially deadly diseases. So are the campuses and communities they live in. One vaccine that often gets left behind is Meningitis B, which is recommended for adolescents 16-23 years old. There are two types of meningitis vaccines – MenACWY and MenB. Few have received the MenB vaccine, yet it’s responsible for 100% of meningococcal meningitis outbreaks on college campuses since 2011. One issue? A lack of communication from pediatricians and family physicians. A recent study found that 49% of pediatricians and 69% of family physicians did not discuss the MenB vaccine during routine visits for 16-18-year-olds. That’s one reason why research shows that nearly 80% of parents did not know about the MenB vaccine, and why more than 78.2% of 17-year-olds have not received at least one dose of the Meningitis B vaccine. As kids head back to school, it’s important that parents take the time to check what vaccinations their teens and young adults have received and proactively talk to their healthcare provider about what other vaccines they need – including both the MenACWY and MenB meningitis vaccines. For more information visit: https://meningitisbactionproject.org/ About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

September 02, 2021 01:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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President Zelensky of Ukraine pays tribute to the Babyn Yar massacre victims at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center

Today President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine honored the victims of the Babyn Yar massacre of World War II during his visit to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. “Victims of the Holocaust were at least six million Jews. Among them - one and a half million, one in four from Ukraine," said President Zelensky and shared the story of his own family members who died in the Holocaust. "There were four brothers. Three of them, as well as their parents, wives, children, and all relatives, were shot by the German occupiers who invaded Ukraine. The fourth brother was at the front lines at the time. He went through World War II, contributed to the victory over Nazism and returned home four years later. Two years later he had a son, 31 years later - a grandson, and 40 years later his grandson became president of Ukraine. Now he is in front of you," the head of state said. President Zelensky visited the Holocaust Memorial Museum alongside prominent leaders of major Jewish organizations in the United States. "Over two days on 29-30 of September 1941, the Nazis killed nearly 34,000 people in Babyn Yar. Over the next two years, according to various estimates, up to 200,000 people. It is our undisputed duty to honor their memory. Unfortunately, for a long time, this was not obvious. In Soviet times, a sports complex and shooting range were built there. And since 1991, Babyn Yar has become not a place of memory, but a place of oblivion. We have been actively changing this for the last two years. At the end of 2020, I signed the Decree "On measures for the further development of the National Historical and Memorial Reserve 'Babyn Yar.'" This memorial complex is a cure for historical complexes." "Conceptually new objects have already been created there, which tell the story of the tragedy in the modern language of modern technologies for modern generations,” shared President Zelensky. Babyn Yar has become a powerful symbol of the 'Holocaust by Bullets,' the estimated 2.5 million Jews who were murdered near their homes in similar Nazi mass shootings across Eastern Europe, 1.5 million of them in Ukraine alone. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Babyn Yar massacre. Human rights activist Natan Sharansky, Chair of the supervisory board of the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center, stated, “ Now is the time to right the historic wrong of Babyn Yar, for the sake of Ukraine, the Jewish communities and the world. The untold stories of these victims must be shared, and this year we will honor their memories to ensure history is not repeated.” Commemorations will culminate in a formal event including global leaders on Oct. 6, 2021, at the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center in Kyiv, Ukraine. About the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center The Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center is a non-governmental charity whose purpose is to preserve and cultivate the memory of the Holocaust and the Babyn Yar tragedy in Ukraine by turning the Babyn Yar area into a place of remembrance. The Foundation's mission is to worthily honor the memory of the victims of the tragedy and to contribute to the humanization of society through preserving and studying the history of the Holocaust. Contact Details Priya Ramanathan +1 312-368-7537 pramanathan@apcoworldwide.com Company Website https://babynyar.org/en

September 01, 2021 04:33 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Finalists Announced for 21st Annual March of Dimes Heroines of Washington Awards

March of Dimes

March of Dimes has announced the finalists for its 21 st Annual Heroines of Washington Awards. The Heroines of Washington Awards, presented by Peraton, recognize and honor professional women in the D.C. Metro area for their dedication to community service. The March of Dimes Heroines of Washington Awards gala will take place in person on Tuesday, November 16, 2021, from 6:00–9:00 pm at the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner. This year’s finalists represent a diverse group of women who continued their commitments to volunteerism in addition to their successful careers during a year with tremendous challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The women nominated and awarded come from a variety of industries including healthcare, real estate, the public sector, and more. 2021 Heroines of Washington Finalists: Hilah Zia, Children’s National Hospital Lydia Russo, Lydia Real Estate Daniela Fiore, Carahsoft Stephanie Kinsey, Cognosante Sarah Kinling, The MITRE Corporation Sandy L. Chung, Health Connect IPA Beth Robertson, NFP Julia Fantacone, Altarum Carly Mitchell, Guidehouse Kerry-Ann Hamilton, KAH Consulting Group Shaza Andersen, Trustar Bank Debbi Jarvis, Howard University Nicole Monteforte, Booz Allen Hamilton Meredith Mark, PwC Liz Jones, Northampton School District Irma Becerra, Marymount University Selvi Clark, Booz Allen Hamilton Nancy Bossard, Long and Foster Lisa Benjamin, Newmark Knight Frank Chaise Schmidt, Cushman & Wakefield Kymber Lovett-Menkiti, Keller Williams Capital Properties Dr. May Kinnard-Brown, The MITRE Corporation Ashley Irwin, SolarWinds Judy Douglas, Peraton Michele Bolos, NT Concepts, Inc. “Every year I continue to be amazed by the professional women in the DMV who continue to go above and beyond to support our community,” said Jennifer Felix, ASRC Federal president and CEO. “In a year fraught with extremely difficult circumstances, volunteers were truly a shining light, and the March of Dimes Heroines of Washington Awards is one of the few opportunities for us to celebrate their incredible work.” This year’s awards mark a return to the Heroines of Washington's in-person gala. All finalists will be honored, and winners will be announced during the gala event on Tuesday, November 16, 2021, from 6:00 – 9:00 pm at the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner. Along with the awards presentation at the gala, there will be a dinner and silent auction. Guests will include directors, CEOS and other high-level individuals and leaders from local organizations, businesses and government. Event sponsors include Peraton, ASRC Federal, M&T Bank, PwC, ManTech, KPMG, and Carahsoft. All funds raised by the Heroines of Washington Awards help support March of Dimes programs, research, community services, education and advocacy to advance research that supports the health of all moms and babies. Since 2001, March of Dimes has honored over 126 “Heroines” and raised more than $3.6 million to support the March of Dimes mission. For tickets or to learn more about the awards gala, please visit: marchofdimes.org/heroines. About March of Dimes March of Dimes leads the fight for the health of all moms and babies. We support research, lead programs and provide education and advocacy so that every baby can have the best possible start. Building on a successful 80-year legacy of impact and innovation, we empower every mom and every family. Visit marchofdimes.org or nacersano.org for more information. To participate in our annual signature fundraising event, visit marchforbabies.org. Visit shareyourstory.org for comfort and support. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and Twitter. Contact Details Emily Ergas (Sage Communications) +1 972-261-4306 eergas@aboutsage.com Bevan Bello (March of Dimes) +1 571-257-2300 bbello@marchofdimes.org Company Website http://www.marchofdimes.org/marylandmetrodc

September 01, 2021 09:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Spotlight Sports Group Acquires Alarm Sports Network, Leading US Fantasy Sports Operator

Spotlight Sports Group

Spotlight Sports Group announced today the acquisition of FA Media LLC (Alarm Sports Network), a leading fantasy sports technology and media company, in an all-cash transaction. Spotlight Sports Group is a world-leading technology, content and media company specializing in sports betting and fantasy sports. Alarm Sports Network provides white-label proprietary technology solutions and free-to-play contests for blue-chip media and sports content providers. It also develops engaging content for its popular consumer sports platforms: Fantasy Alarm, DFS Alarm and Wager Alarm. The addition of these services to Spotlight Sports Group creates an all-encompassing sports betting and fantasy sports offering. Spotlight Sports Group is recognized for its sports betting expertise on direct-to-consumer platforms like Pickswise, one of the fastest-growing sports betting content providers in North America, and Racing Post in the UK and Ireland. Spotlight Sports Group also supplies sports betting technology, tooling and actionable content to drive user engagement for the world’s leading sportsbooks and media owners. “This acquisition immediately accelerates our growth across North America with the addition of proprietary technology and authoritative, scalable content. We are delighted to be joining forces with a vastly experienced management team steeped in fantasy sports and sports betting expertise. ASN will also broaden our business-to-business footprint through partnerships with Yahoo, FTN Network, SiriusXM and others,” said Alan Byrne, CEO of Spotlight Sports Group. “This is a transformative deal for Spotlight Sports Group. It allows us to combine the skills and expertise which have fueled our digital growth in the UK and Ireland with the talent and flair of the team at ASN in order to have a significant impact on the all-important US market.” Key highlights from the deal include: Spotlight Sports Group will retain the expertise of the Alarm Sports Network team: co-founders Dan and Al Williams, former NBC executive and Fantasy Sports & Gaming Association Hall-Of-Famer Rick Wolf and former FOX Sports & EA Sports executive Ed Bunnell. Alarm Sports Network, who developed the technology to help drive user engagement and revenue at sports media companies like FTN Network, Yahoo, Bally Sports and The Nation Network, will fold into Spotlight Sports Group’s brand. ASN brands Fantasy Alarm, Wager Alarm, DFS Alarm and Fantasy Rundown join Pickwise in a new look direct-to-consumer brand roster for sports bettors and fantasy players across North America. Spotlight Sports Group will integrate the ASN team, growing the Group’s staff to more than 500 people. “This deal creates a powerhouse sports betting and fantasy sports business, proven to drive revenue with engagement-led solutions. Using our unique mix of product technology, expert content and authoritative brands, we will continue to deepen our relationships with our partners to help them grow and monetize their audiences,” said Rick Wolf, President Alarm Sports Network. “We are tremendously excited to become part of Spotlight Sports Group, working together to help solve challenges and drive innovation for our partners in the fast-evolving sports media and affiliate landscape,” added Dan Williams, Co-Founder. For more information on Spotlight Sports Group please visit: https://www.spotlightsportsgroup.com/en_us/ ABOUT SPOTLIGHT SPORTS GROUP Spotlight Sports Group (owned by Exponent Private Equity) is a leading technology, content and media business specializing in sports betting. Evolved from the Racing Post Group, Spotlight Sports Group engages millions of people directly through Racing Post, Pickswise, Free Super Tips and myracing. The company also has decades of experience in powering growth and conversion for the world’s biggest sportsbooks and media companies, delivering best-in-class technology and expert scalable content experiences in more than 70 languages. ABOUT THE ALARM SPORTS NETWORK Alarm Sports Network’s (ASN) mission is to create products, services and content that entertain and inform so that sports fans can learn, play and win whether it is fantasy sports or sports betting. This has been achieved through three digital platforms: Fantasy Alarm, Wager Alarm and DFS Alarm. ASN platforms cover all 10 major US sports (including Esports) offering a mix of free and premium content. The business-to-business division supplies media companies with a range of tools from data modelled projections for player performance to full turnkey white-label platforms and free-to-play contests. Contact Details Michael Adorno +1 212-931-6143 madorno@hotpaperlantern.com Company Website https://www.spotlightsportsgroup.com/en_us/

September 01, 2021 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Juicy Juice Celebrates the Return of the Lunchbox this Back-to-School Season

YourUpdateTV

It’s finally here – the day parents and kids have been yearning for: a fresh start to a new school year and new beginnings. Parents and kids will be celebrating a back-to-school season unlike any other and experiencing a spectrum of emotions along with it. So, what can parents do to navigate both the excitement and nervousness of this back-to-school season and set their kids and themselves up for success? To help parents prepare themselves and their littles ones for the return to school, Juicy Juice is partnering with host of Disney Family Sundays on Disney+, child psychologist and founder of Yay Day Paper Co., Amber Kemp-Gerstel. Crafting expert Amber created custom-designed lunchbox notes for kids to discover at lunchtime to provide a connection to mom and dad. In addition, her tips and suggestions will help alleviate any back-to-school jitters kids may be feeling. The notes, along with other helpful advice from Amber on how to ease the transition of back to school, will be available on Juicy Juice’s website. Additionally, Juicy Juice is hosting a 100% YAY! Sweepstakes to celebrate mom, dad and the caretakers who were handling and coordinating all things virtually this past school year and get them excited and ready for back to school. Each day, ten $100 gift cards will be given away! Through September 22, parents can visit JuicyJuice.com and follow the instructions to complete and submit the online entry form. Entrants can also enter this sweepstakes every day receive a bonus entry for playing the 100% YAY! Lunchbox Game for more chances to win. Visit www.Juicyjuice.com/yay to enter and read the full rules. About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

August 23, 2021 11:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Healthtech wearable glucose tracker Ultrahuman raises $17.5m in series B funding

Ultrahuman

Ultrahuman, the rapidly growing metabolic fitness platform, today announced it has raised $17.5 million, as it aims to help over a billion people in the world suffering from a metabolic health disorder. This brings the total funds raised so far to $25mn. Ultrahuman is committed to making metabolic fitness accessible to millions of people globally. The funds raised will be used for geographical expansion and to improve their biomarker technology. The series B funding came from Alpha Wave Incubation (AWI), which is backed by DisruptAD and managed by Falcon Edge, Steadview Capital, Nexus Venture Partners, Blume Ventures and Utsav Somani’s iSeed fund. Marquee founders and angel investors also participated including Tiger Global’s Scott Schleifer, Sandeep Singhal, Kunal Shah, Sujeet Kumar, Deepinder Goyal, Gunjan Patidar, Gaurav Munjal, Revant Bhate, Mohit Gupta, Vikram Dhingra and Roman Saini. The Ultrahuman Cyborg wearable helps people optimize their exercise and nutrition based on glucose biomarkers. The Ultrahuman wearable launched in June 2021 has already amassed thousands of users in the waitlist with users raving about their experience on Twitter after using the wearable. The metabolic health crisis is unarguably one of the largest healthcare crises that exists today. Over a billion people in the world suffer from a metabolic health disorder which contribute to almost 85% of all chronic diseases in the world. By helping people understand how food and exercise affects their metabolic health, people would be able to make informed choices about what they eat and their activity levels. The approach is a geography / diet agnostic way to help people eat and exercise better. A single biomarker like glucose can reveal so much about how a particular food item affects the user’s metabolic health by measuring the glucose response. This response is unique to an individual and it depends on various factors like their microbiome diversity, stress levels, time of the day, food ingredient quality etc. Ultrahuman was started by Mohit Kumar and Vatsal Singhal who were also co-founders at Runnr that later merged with Zomato. Mohit is an avid cyclist, biohacker and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu enthusiast. Vatsal is a cross fit enthusiast and biohacker. Mohit was training at one of the largest MMA Camps in the world (Tiger Muay Thai). There he observed athletes train smartly via usage of data, recovery tools and protocols. He got together with Vatsal and they came up with a vision for Ultrahuman where they can make the journey of fitness for people more personalised and impactful. “Biomarkers will change how the fitness and the healthcare industry works. By being able to continuously monitor their biomarkers like glucose, users can not only avoid chronic diseases but make lifestyle changes that help them improve their fitness levels for longevity and performance, ” said Ultrahuman Founder and CEO Mohit Kumar. Navroz D. Udwadia, Co-Founder, Falcon Edge Capital, said, " We are excited to partner with Mohit and Vatsal, founders of Ultrahuman. We believe they can transform the way people view personal wellness globally. Their thoughtfulness around UI / design and consumer experience is inspiring. We are thrilled to back what could be a pioneering biomarker-driven global healthcare business. Their dual obsessiveness around product engineering and customer experience is already showing result in terms of product market fit and retention. ” Commenting on the investment, Ravi Mehta, Founder and MD Steadview Capital, said, “ We are excited to be a part of Ultrahuman’s journey as it takes what we believe to be a disruptive approach to personal wellness. Ultrahuman’s biosensor-enabled, data-first model, in our view, is the future of any personalized healthcare ecosystem, ” “We at Nexus are super excited about Ultrahuman’s biomarker based approach to build hyper- personalised diet and exercise journeys for users. We are seeing a very strong pull for Ultrahuman’s Cyborg platform globally and feel that it will be a foundational approach to personal wellness in the years to come, ” added Sameer Brij Verma, MD Nexus Venture Partners. “Mohit and team have taken their personal fitness journeys and translated them to a world class product and experience in just over a year. We expect Ultrahuman to help shape how health is proactively monitored across global audiences, “ said Karthik Reddy, Founder of Blume Ventures. About Ultrahuman Ultrahuman is headquartered in the US and India. It is the world's most advanced metabolic fitness platform. It helps people create long-term habits and changes via instant nudges and deep health insights instead of diets and strict exercise routines. For more information and updates on Ultrahuman, please visit ultrahuman.com Contact Details Ultrahuman Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com

August 19, 2021 08:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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News Release

Sharp, A New Sports Betting App Focused on Empowering Bettors Through Advanced Education, Officially Launches

Sharp

Sharp announced today that its sports betting app officially launched in both the App and Google Play stores. Sharp is a first-of-its-kind sports betting app, providing an all-in-one platform experience of multimedia content, tools and solutions developed specifically to educate and empower sports bettors to make smarter decisions and manage their actions. Sharp is the amalgamation of two industry giants, Win Daily and DFS Army. With more than 10-years experience combined, in understanding the needs, wants and pain points of sports bettors, the app unites Win Daily’s exceptional media content and DFS Army’s development of proprietary technology to create the ultimate sports betting educational experience. The Sharp app is currently free for download on Android and iOS. The anchor feature of the app is “Sharp Academy.” Sharp Academy is a multimedia masterclass that will teach all skill levels different aspects of sports betting. Led by sports betting expert John Alessia, Sharp Academy will produce daily content (podcasts, live streams and articles) providing tips, advice and strategies aimed at breaking down sports betting to its foundational elements. Sharp Academy will be free for the first 1,000 downloads of the Sharp app. “Even as sports betting explodes across America, there is a significant segment of the market that is still sitting on the sidelines because they aren’t educated on how to bet, what to look for or what success over time looks like,” said Sharp co-founder and CEO Kevin Epstein. “Apps leveraging innovative technology focused on user education and self-management are already second nature to consumers looking to strengthen their personal financials or health and fitness regimen - sports betting should be no different. With Sharp, we’ve created the ultimate platform of tools and content that we wish we had when we started sports betting.” Sports betting experts and company executives Alessia, Epstein and Jason Mezrahi will all produce content for the app. Additional noted sports betting experts contracted to create content for the platform will be announced at a later date. “In bringing together Win Daily and DFS Army, we bring decades of expertise that fuses the best sports betting content and experts with world-class proprietary technology that will continue to evolve and innovate as the industry grows and expands,” said Mezrahi, co-founder and COO of Sharp. “Users can expect rich daily content across the spectrum of sports and intuitive tools to help provide historical perspective on personal bets and real-time statistics to help make the best decisions for the bettor. There has been a dearth of sports betting educational products in the market and we’re excited for users to begin seeking value from the Sharp platform.” Additional app features include: Bet tracking technology Odds checking Team and player prop projections For more information please visit: https://sharp.app/ To download the app: App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sharp-app/id1557592668 Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sharpapp ABOUT SHARP APP Founded in 2020, by sports betting and fantasy experts and executives from Win Daily and DFS Army, Sharp is a first-of-its-kind sports betting app. Sharp provides an all-in-one platform experience of multimedia content, tools and solutions developed specifically to educate and empower sports bettors to make smarter decisions and manage their actions. Follow Sharp on social media - Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. Contact Details HPL Digital Sport Michael Adorno +1 212-931-6143 madorno@hotpaperlantern.com Company Website https://sharp.app/

August 19, 2021 09:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Reveals the Inspired Experiences Awaiting Visitors at its Stunning Expo Pavilion

Saudi Arabia Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai

The Saudi Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai has been awarded the LEED Platinum Certificate from the US Green Building Council (USGBC), placing it among the most sustainable designs in the world. The pavilion, the second largest after the UAE’s, holds three Guinness World Records for longest interactive state-of-the-art water feature, largest LED mirror screen display, and largest interactive lighting floor. Celebrated Saudi artists will exhibit their work as part of the pavilion’s ‘Vision’ exhibition. With less than two months to go, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is preparing to welcome the world to its state-of-the-art pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. At the Saudi Pavilion – the second largest after the UAE’s – visitors will experience the Kingdom’s rich past, vibrant present, and promising future. A 68 square-meter, curved LED screen greets visitors as they embark on a technology-enabled journey through five ecosystems, hinting at the Kingdom’s natural spaces, beautiful coasts, vast deserts, surrounding seas, and high mountains. The journey will walk through the flora of Al Bardani Valley in Asir Region to the mighty mountains of Tabuk, and from the dunes of the Empty Quarter in southeastern Saudi to the crystal-clear waters of the Red Sea. Visitors to the Saudi Pavilion will then experience 14 cultural landmarks along a stunning escalator ride. These include acclaimed UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as At-Turaif District in Ad-Diriyah, Hegra Archaeological Site in AlUla, Historic Jeddah, Rock Art in the Hail Region, and Al-Ahsa Oasis. Through an audiovisual guide, guests can explore 23 other destinations, including world-leading giga-projects which are rewriting the possibilities of sustainable development such as Qiddiya, Diriyah Gate, and King Salman Park. Following this, visitors will enter ‘Vision,’ a one-of-a-kind art exhibition curated by celebrated Saudi artists. Highlights include a 30m floating virtual sphere and a bespoke interactive floor. Finally, the pavilion will take visitors through the ‘Discovery Center’, where an innovative platform will connect leaders from around the world to forge exciting partnerships and discuss investment opportunities, visualized through an interactive digital map of Saudi Arabia. People, opportunity, nature, and heritage are the four pillars that anchor the visitor experience of the Kingdom’s 13,000 square-meter pavilion; an adventure woven into one of the most sustainable structures at Expo 2020 Dubai. It has been awarded the LEED Platinum certification by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), the highest internationally recognized sustainability rating in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. In addition, the pavilion holds three Guinness World Records: the largest interactive lighting floor with around 8,000 LED lights, the longest interactive water feature at more than 32 meters, and the largest LED interactive digital mirror screen at 1302.5 square meters. Expo 2020 Dubai is an opportunity to reconnect, meet new people, and discover new horizons. The people of Saudi Arabia are excited to open the doors and for visitors to experience their renowned hospitality first-hand. Contact Details Hanin Faroun +971 58 823 6024 hfaroun@apcoworldwide.com

August 19, 2021 08:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Airbnb.org Program Offers Free, Temporary Housing to Disaster Victims

YourUpdateTV

Communities across the US are in the midst of hurricane and wildfire season. When disasters like this strike, many people find themselves in need of temporary housing and space to figure out what’s next. Airbnb.org’s emergency response program helps connect people to temporary places to stay in times of need. Recently, Kristen Berlacher, the Head of Airbnb.org Programs, teamed with YourUpdateTV on a satellite media tour to discuss this initiative and share tips on how to be better prepared for disasters and how to help impacted communities. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/OD7JPciKRbE The inspiration for Airbnb.org began in 2012 with a single host named Shell who opened up her home to people impacted by Hurricane Sandy. This sparked a movement and marked the beginning of a program that allows hosts on Airbnb to provide stays for people in times of need. Since 2012, the program has responded to hundreds of disasters and helped find temporary housing for evacuees and relief workers around the world. Airbnb helped people in times of crisis through the Open Homes initiative. Airbnb.org, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is the next chapter. The program has evolved to focus on emergency response and to help provide stays to evacuees, relief workers, refugees and asylum seekers, and most recently, frontline workers fighting the spread of COVID-19. How it Works: Airbnb.org will allow hosts on Airbnb to provide free and discounted stays to people impacted by emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters. These stays, which provide alternative accommodation and shelter options, are especially helpful to government and nonprofit partners in a year where the COVID-19 pandemic has made housing vulnerable people in traditional congregate shelters extremely challenging. Hosts who support Airbnb.org by offering free stays or making recurring donations will receive a special badge on their profile to recognize their generosity and commitment to communities in need. Anyone who finds joy in helping others, who believes in kindness and is interested in helping by opening their homes or donating to this cause, can learn more at airbnb.org/join About KRISTEN BERLACHER: As Head of Airbnb.org Programs, Kristen leads a global team that supports Airbnb.org’s efforts to help people impacted by natural disasters, refugees and frontline responders fighting the spread of COVID- 19. With a background in tech-enabled social impact, philanthropy and nonprofit management, Kristen, as an employee of Airbnb, oversees strategic partnerships, government relations, response operations and community engagement for Airbnb.org with the goal of leveraging Airbnb’s unique assets to provide innovative housing solutions and livelihood opportunities for vulnerable populations around the globe. Prior to Airbnb, Kristen led Hyatt Hotel Corporation’s global philanthropy programs focused on economic empowerment, disaster response and employee volunteerism. Before Hyatt, Kristen served as Deputy Director for Working in the Schools, a nonprofit focused on literacy programming for vulnerable youth. Kristen holds a BA in Leadership Studies from the University of Richmond, VA About Airbnb.org: Airbnb.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating temporary stays for people in times of crisis around the world. Airbnb.org operates independently and leverages Airbnb, Inc.’s technology, services, and other resources at no charge to carry out Airbnb.org’s charitable purpose. The inspiration for Airbnb.org began in 2012 with a single host named Shell who opened up her home to people impacted by Hurricane Sandy. This sparked a movement and marked the beginning of a programme that allows Hosts on Airbnb to provide stays for people in times of need. Since then, the programme has evolved to focus on emergency response and to help provide stays to evacuees, relief workers, refugees, asylum seekers, and most recently, frontline workers fighting the spread of COVID-19. Since then, Hosts have offered to open up their homes and helped provide accommodations to 75,000 people in times of need. Airbnb.org is a separate and independent entity from Airbnb, Inc. Airbnb, Inc. does not charge service fees for Airbnb.org supported stays on its platform. About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

August 17, 2021 05:05 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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