Ben Cohen Named In Finals of Courage In Sports Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nick Owen/Intersport
312-467-2826/nowen@intersportnet.com

FORMER ENGLISH RUGBY PLAYER BEN COHEN ADVANCES TO FINALS FOR COURAGE IN SPORTS HONOR ON CBS

Voting Open Until Oct. 1 facebook.com/CourageInSports

2012 America’s Choice Honoree Announced Nov. 11 on CBS

[Sept. 24, 2012] CHICAGO – Ben Cohen, who is among the first heterosexual professional athletes to start a foundation advocating the needs of the LGBT community, advanced to the final round of voting for the America’s Choice Honoree for Courage in Sports, Intersport announced today. He is competing against Jack Jablonski who was paralyzed last December by a hockey check during a high school game. The America’s Choice Honoree, wholly determined by fan voting, recognizes individuals who have overcome monumental challenges to achieve greatness in the world of sports. The winner will be announced on a one-hour “Courage in Sports” special airing at 5 p.m. ET Nov. 11 on CBS.

Eight inspiring individuals were selected to participate in the Facebook voting campaign which began September 4. Each week, the two athletes with the lowest vote total are eliminated from the competition. Fans can vote once per day and share their vote with friends. The top two vote getters are competing in the finals from Sept. 24 to Oct. 1.

Cohen played professional rugby throughout Europe and for the English national team, on which he was a key member of England’s 2003 World Cup winning side. In 2011, he founded the StandUp Foundation to raise awareness and ultimately stop bullying – particularly in the LGBT community – and to remove homophobia in sports. Cohen started StandUp after losing his father to an incident of bullying.

The Standup Foundation raises money for several organizations and also sponsors events; it recently was a key sponsor at the Bingham Cup, the world championship of gay and inclusive rugby teams. The Cup is named after Mark Bingham, a gay rugby player who died on 9/11 in United Flight 93.

To show your support for Cohen or Jablonski, visit: facebook.com/CourageInSports.

For questions about the Facebook competition or the CBS show, contact Nick Owen at nowen@intersportnet.com or 312-467-2826.

About Intersport
Since 1985, Intersport has been an award-winning innovator and leader in the creation of sports and entertainment based marketing platforms. Intersport provides turnkey solutions for global brands by combining two award-winning divisions: Sponsorship & Event Marketing and Television & Digital Media. To learn more about Intersport, log on to www.intersportnet.com, like us on Facebook (Facebook.com/IntersportBuzz) or follow us on Twitter (@IntersportBuzz).
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