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Free corporate catered meal delivery service for Brisbane Teachers
Free corporate catered meal delivery service for Brisbane Teachers @TheQTU @ChezNousCorp #qldteachers #education #qldbusiness #brisbane #communitysupport #coronavirus #lockdownbrisbane #lockdownaustralia #qldpol #brisbaneeats
Gourmet mixed platters with executive fillings available for corporate events
In the face of adversity emerges the kindness of strangers. Brisbane family-run catering business Chez Nous Corporate Catering are generously delivering old-school, home-made comfort meals to local teachers for FREE.
“Our business is certainly feeling the full force of this crisis, but Chez Nous Corporate Catering…
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Mobile App Ideas That Are Trending During The COVID-19 Pandemic
As the proportion of the Coronavirus outbreak overall expanded, governments and organizations developed reactionary measures, including the new norms of social distancing. While this is happening, the shoppers stayed secured up in their homes. They are now searching for better approaches to get connected throgh their mobiles to make their shopping, finances, health care, and profit in working and engaging themselves in this troublesome time.
The COVID-19 pandemic has constrained these customers to move their lives to websites and mobile applications. In recent times, both mobile and website popularity has made this everyday change simpler.
A few studies have evaluated that the day by day time spent on mobile applications has stretched worldwide as the outbreak has extended in the first quarter of 2020. As indicated by App Annie (application for checking the web and mobile use) in China, time passing became 30% with five additional hours out of each day on regular since 2019. Italy, one more of the countries that are generally under attack by COVID-19 had the second most increase with 11%. As per Android reports, the average week by week time spent on Apps and games on their working frameworks overall developed by 20% this first quarter of the year.
However, it isn’t just that users look for more; it is the thing that they are doing at this time and what tools they are utilizing. Therefore we have two lists quite long, the names that are used with regular day to day existence, for example, health, amusement, games, and so forth. In the case of the finance and educational processes as well these apps work fine. So let’s take a look at the apps?
The most mainstream as per Google Play and App Store: Witness the Rise of Users
On Google Play, downloads have come up to 5% while iOS downloads expanded to 15%, speaking to 9 billion new downloads. On Google Play, non-game apps represented 55% of all downloads, while on iOS, the figure was somewhat higher than 65%.
The games, tools, and other entertainment sector downloads were the areas with the most noteworthy download rates on Google Play and, even though the games category was the most excellent ones, in this time, it is changing fast and reaching into substantial development in different ways which are frequently overlooked by clients. From the app developers Brisbane you can expect similar kinds of apps also. For that you will have to share your idea of the app with them.
The applications in the Health and Fitness and Education and Business classes have likewise experienced the development of 40%, 35%, and 30% individually. The more individuals join the home office, the more schools and gyms stay shut, the more it converts into an expansion in application downloads that permit buyers to keep up with their schedules while remaining at home.
When seen from the iOS working framework, games, photographs, entertainment, and videos are as yet the most significant downloaded applications. While watching the detail of the process in education, business, and physical state, similar to Google Play, in this framework, they have seen the developments of 40%, 35%, and 30%. On iOS, health, and fitness applications, such as multi-day Fitness, Calorie Counter, and Keep were the most downloaded in this category.
Another pertinent case is TikTok, an application that, since 2019, has offered something to discuss. So far, in 2020, it figured out how to be the most downloaded application on the planet, outperforming applications possessed by Facebook example, Instagram, Messenger, or Facebook Mobile. Statista has revealed that 25 thousand iOS clients in Spain have downloaded this App, from March 26 to April 2, a period wherein the clients were in a circumstance of social detachment. The Android app development Australia based services are there to launch such kind of unique apps.
Entertainment at Its Best
The most well-known applications by several downloads in the entertainment categories are:
Disney +
Disney +, the App initially propelled in the United States on November 12, had solid selection during the first quarter of 2020. It experienced the popularity in Europe on March 24 and created around 5 million downloads on the main day, in Spain is the second most downloaded App with about 360000 downloads. Accordingly, it is one of the most significant amusement applications that buyers use.
HouseParty
Houseparty is another App that has seen exponential development, filling the hole made by the lockdown measures in various nations regarding social contact. At the same time, apps like ZOOM and Microsoft Teams are entirely made use of in proficient life, Houseparty centers around ordinary socialization. The proposition of having the option to play a few games during calls is the thing that genuinely recognizes the application. In the week starting March 15, Houseparty downloads overall grew multiple times more than the earlier week.
Conflict and Slack
Conflict is an App that might be obscure to age. However, it is maybe the most famous correspondence App among the lovers of the video game. It is an application that consolidates the elements of a video call tool, for example, Skype with communication through channels or subjects offered, for instance, Slack. The gamer network has acknowledged it as its application because of the chance of arranging systems around the various games and where a round of a video game can be communicated while they speak with one another.
In the business world, there is likewise news: Whatsapp, Telegram, Facebook.
Surprisingly fast, the business world has additionally needed to rehash itself, presently conferences have gone from eye to eye to being virtual and well-known texting tools, for example, Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, or Telegram offer these administrations. Notwithstanding, the quantity of members they permit usually is confinement to create customer appeal towards these tools.
The coronavirus pandemic has filled teleworking, and with it, the requirement for progressively adaptable and ground-breaking programs has developed. Truth be told, as per Statista, from March 26 to April 1, Zoom has become the most downloaded App available, both on Google Play and on the App Store. In any case, this is only an example, probably the most mainstream free applications that have served to help amplify the presentation of organizations that are teleworking are:
Skype
It is, without a doubt, extraordinary compared to other realized Video Call Apps. It was made in 2003, and its prevalence pushed the tech goliath Microsoft to get hold of it in 2011 for $ 8.5 billion. In support of its, its natural structure, the chance of making video calls in top-notch and the sound quality stick out. Nonetheless, the cutoff number for video calls is 25 members, which reduces the opportunity of arranging work gatherings on the off chance that it is a large organization.
Zoom
With social distancing on the board, it is presumably the application that is offering more to discuss. Its usage isn’t just restricted to the business condition. A few educational organizations additionally make use of this tool to provide virtual classes. As indicated by an article in the British paper Financial Times, Zoom’s stock worth significantly increased toward the start of March, where “artful speculators search for organizations that can profit by worldwide health dread.”
The organization was established in 2011 and is situated in the Californian city of San José, Silicon Valley. As indicated by a portion of its clients, Zoom’s effortlessness and speed to arrange gatherings are one of its qualities. What’s more, they bring up the enormous number of capacities that its free form permits, having the option to get together to 100 members simultaneously. You don’t have to enroll to join a formerly made gathering, having the connection and secret word or greeting is sufficient.
Microsoft Teams
When it comes to the Microsoft Teams, after the beginning of the lockdown, including 12 million new clients, around 44 million individuals are associated day by day. On March 12, they chose in an official proclamation to make remote work simpler, making their Microsoft Teams stage accessible to associations and schools far and wide for nothing.
Slack
In Slack, its CEO detailed an expansion in clients on the lockdown stage, finding that the average number of messages sent through the stage expanded by 20%. Similarly, they took measures to team up with their clients by pushing the use of new assets, considering expanding far off work. Among these assets was the upgrade of the stage, to encourage association on it.
On account of video conferencing stages, the experts opine that you have a mediator to help arrange the teammates’ petitions. For that, the utilization of informing steps must propel you to have more noteworthy correspondence with your workgroup and keep up, through this relationship, more noteworthy ordinariness in your work exercises. With Brisbane app development services, you can expect the best supports now.
It is undeniable that the coronavirus outbreak has caused significant changes in how purchasers and organizations connect. Still, it is also true that new mediums are also coming up for fruitful dealings. While brands need to have a system to assist purchasers with winning on mobile gadgets, it is likewise a chance to survey inside and look for not just how to go with their clients as of now yet additionally their representatives so forms They are liquid and are reflected like their items and administrations.
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Global Lion
The PR activity being analysed this week is the Global Lion Membership deal, with the Brisbane Lions football club promoting their new memberships for people living overseas and want to keep up to date with the Lions and all things AFL. The pack includes a membership pack, streaming of all AFL games and press conferences and priority access to finals tickets.
In this post the Lions are trying to encourage people overseas to get on board with the AFL and currently with most sports around the world on hold due to Coronavirus this is a very smart way to sell memberships and get new supporters and members to the club. Having access to live streams of every AFL game, priority access to Grand final/finals tickets and access to press conferences a part of the membership deal, allows people that maybe aren’t even wanting to be Brisbane supporters a way to watch AFL and creates an even bigger target audience.
I saw this post on twitter from the Brisbane Lions and it straight away caught my eye. I'm personally not a Brisbane supporter but the post did gain my attention from being different and something I had never seen before, with international memberships. I think this is a very interesting way to get more members and would be very fascinating to see how many Global Lion memberships they sell. Also, I believe a way they could improve the deal is to create a deal with an airline company to get them to come to Australia and attend games in person. This is a clear example of external communication, which is a major part of PR as it is the communication between the business of the Brisbane Lions Football club and its fans that are outside of the club.
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Carnival says it will begin cruises again in August after massive coronavirus outbreaks forced it to cease operations
Passengers of the Carnival Sensation, operated by Carnival Cruise Line.
Jorge Delgado/Reuters
Some Carnival cruises will resume in August, the company said Monday.
The cruise giant is prioritizing ports Miami, Galveston, and Canaveral, where customers can avoid flying to their departure.
The coronavirus pandemic has hobbled cruise operators, who are anxious to restart their boats — and revenue streams.
To coax back anxious travelers, Carnival is offering deals as low as $30 per day for cruises from Texas to Mexico.
Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Carnival Cruise Lines said Monday that some of its North American routes will resume August 1, with others coming on line later in the summer.
The new dates are an extension of the company’s previously planned return-to-service date of June 26. Carnival said it has prioritized resuming cruises from its ports that are more easily accessible by car so that passengers don’t have to fly to their vacation.
Miami and Port Canaveral, Florida, and Galveston, Texas are slated to resume operations on August 1 with some of Carnival’s largest ships. All other North American cruises are cancelled until September, the company said. Cruises from Seattle and Vancouver, as well as a route from Brisbane, Australia to Hawaii, are cancelled until October 6 at the earlier.
“We will use this additional time to continue to engage experts, government officials and stakeholders on additional protocols and procedures to protect the health and safety of our guests, crew and the communities we serve,” Carnival said in a press release. “We appreciate the understanding and support of our guests and travel agent partners and look forward to welcoming them on board as the environment for travel and tourism improves.”
The cancellation of virtually all cruises worldwide has had a ruinous financial effect for their operators. Carnival lost $781 million between December and February, compared to the $336 million profit it made during those same months a year earlier, as ships remained docked.
Story continues
To lure back cruise-goers, Carnival is offerings sailings for the newly announced voyages priced as low as $28 per day. The deals were first spotted by Bloomberg News, and can whisk travelers from Texas to Mexico over a five-day cruise for as little as $139 before taxes and fees.
Before Carnival halted new sailings in March, the novel coronavirus spread to over 1,000 passengers and crew members on Carnival-owned ships like the Diamond Princess, Ruby Princess, and Costa Luminosa. The company was in some cases criticized for the way its ships handled the virus, but Carnival’s CEO, Arnold Donald, has argued that the company has consistently followed guidelines established by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
And when cruises resume once again, they may look starkly different than before. Carnival is considering temporarily limiting the number of passengers by limiting certain cabins on its ships when they begin sailing again, two sources close to the matter told Business Insider in April.
Two possibilities include allowing passengers to only book cabins with access to fresh air or making sure there are empty cabins between occupied ones, sources said, in addition to safety measures already announced like temperature checks prior to boarding.
Mark Matousek contributed to this report.
Read the original article on Business Insider
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Google Neighborhood List – Discover The Whole Method
Google nearby list is set to list your commercial enterprise on the map that you normally get on the top or within the middle of Google first web page outcomes. Those listing showcases when you are looking for a key-phrase associated with any specific metropolis. Therefore, those close by list gadgets are not the same as the natural results and supported pay consistent with click on postings. In this text, we're able to clarify the three maximum vital perspectives that you may push aside when putting in your Google community commercial enterprise listing. (1) little by little instructions to put up: initially, you want to open an account in the Google close by business corporation centre after that fill out the information required. In case your agency is already listed in Google and you haven’t the authority to get admission to it, just claim it and take a look at it. On this manner, you get the authority of your profile. Our advice right here, ensure your profile is 100% completed with the Digital Marketing Company Darwin. For instance- e-mail, employer hours, installment alternatives, administrations, coupons, photographs and recordings. You may upload up to 10 snap shots and hyperlink up to five YouTube films too. Make certain to fill the profile with but a wonderful deal as facts as ought to fairly be predicted; showing to Google that you have an energetic enterprise and that your list is the most crucial for the unique key-word being looked. Assume you are in the competitive market then you need to provide a look on your opposition list. Apprehend how masses records they had been given and make a point to at any fee a fantastic deal their posting, and if potential to increase an open door they'll have neglected. (2) little by little commands to move in advance: for optimizing nearby are looking for, the maximum vital issue is to ‘upload your agency’ in different locations besides Google neighborhood. Make sure you encompass a similar data each one of the locations you add your corporation to. Get as an awful lot copied content material fabric as you can, whilst announcing replica that pointing as alluding to the organization call, telephone wide variety, deal with, administrations, the whole thing should be steady during the distinctive web sites on the manner to reveal your commercial enterprise facts. This thing is critical as Google wants to see a comparable industrial company information while it crawls all of the accessible statistics at the internet. Within the event that you try to trick the engines with the aid of giving fake or incorrect information crosswise over diverse levels it can with out a whole lot of a stretch choose out this, therefore it is extraordinarily endorsed to hold the economic enterprise list information consistent in the course of all structures.
READ ALSO:-- Traffic and Conversion Summit 2020 postponed due to Coronavirus
The various net websites and directories in which you may encompass your company are yelp, linkedin, can pages, cell phone ebook, web local, gig park, zip local and praized to say a pair. Farther greater, compare the competitor credentials and mirror them, ship it to the same places so that they may be diagnosed under your website on-line as citations as properly. Merge citations with evaluations; critiques input right now into your Google close by listing and exceptional reviews from authority web sites in your industry area of interest. As you recognize yelp is at the entire choose up via Google and displayed on the maps. In this situation, it isn't advocating fake reviews but herbal ones. It is certainly useful to invite your customers or satisfied clients to write some extraordinary opinions sharing their tales of ways thrilled they have been together with your enterprise, services or products. (3) little by little instructions to music: there are various tactics that you can track the activity that your Google maps list sends for your internet web site, proper here are three which can be the best - (a) attending to the Google nearby business enterprise middle dashboard. That is the hassle-loose method to test how the listing is performing, what key terms have been utilized, and the region in which the quest modified into before everything entered. This may deliver an terrific understanding near what those capacity customers are searching for out your business. You'll approach facts, for example, impressions and sports in the maximum modern month, top seek queries and bits of know-how as to where driving course originate from. (b) track your listing visitors using a committed profile interior Google analytics. This may show what key terms human beings are using to discover or click on your close by list on the global map. You may use the Google analytics device: url builder. Three) you may alternate the predefined seek engine indoors Google analytics basically by means of together with the accompanying line of code: page tracker. _add organic("maps. Google,"dq"); if you anticipate code degree isn't relaxed for you, you can generate a brand new profile and upload a filter out that accounts for site visitors coming from Google map. 1st step- go to the Google analytics dashboard 2d step- analytics settings > profile settings 3rd step- add a filter out 4th step- select out predefined clear out fifth step- embody best - visitors from domain names - that begin with 6th step- location maps. Google you can pick out each other customized manner to try this as properly 1st step- pick out custom clear out, as opposed to predefined clear out 2nd step- select encompass third step- visit clear out subject 4th step- pick referral fifth step- filter pattern: maps. Google you could without a doubt get help right here on the close by commercial agency help dialogue board in which you could discover facts for marketers, reproduction troubles, troubleshooting. Just get solutions to your inquiries, opportunity are a person else is having the equal problems as you. The remarkable problem is that Google executives screen the forum and Digital Marketing Companies Brisbane will answer your inquiries too. Entrepreneurs need to attract the maximum possible visits for your internet web site; close by businesses nourish special network commercial enterprise so it's far in reality crucial to ensure your close by publicity is maximized online. Google nearby is loose, so ensure you are as stepped forward as may be anticipated below the situations and don’t want to miss out on any low hanging fruit. Constructing on line presence and authority; as with the entirety related with search engine optimization the more on-line authority you have the happier you are and with Google maps, the higher opportunities you have in score in the pinnacle neighborhood P.C. In your primary key phrases and city places.
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Restaurants Have Accidentally Promoted Coronavirus Info From Scientologists
Several months ago, New Zealand's Government produced a "Unite Against Covid-19" campaign that provided health advice, information about good hygiene, and other resources for the country's residents. (It has since been renamed "Unite for the Recovery," since there are currently zero active cases of coronavirus in the country.) Those campaign materials had a minimalist design and an understated black, white, and yellow color palette, so when a similar-looking stack of pamphlets appeared in an Auckland restaurant, no one thought they were at all out-of-place. The 30-plus page booklets, called "How to Keep Yourself & Others Well" shared tips for staying safe during a pandemic, offered some more general health tips... and also had a QR code on the back cover that took readers directly to the Church of Scientology's website.
According to the NZ Herald, as soon as the general manager of the Mexican Cafe realized that the literature hadn't been provided by the Ministry of Health, he removed them from the premises. "We are taking them out just because we are not happy about promoting the Church of Scientology at all," he said.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health told the outlet that there was nothing fundamentally wrong with individual organizations—even the Church of Scientology—"choosing to share general hygiene advice, which is what this appears to be." (Dr. Susie Wiles, a microbiologist who co-created a now viral GIF that explained the concept of "Flattening the Curve" in the early days of the pandemic, was slightly less diplomatic about taking advice from unscientific sources. "You can always just be polite," she said. "Just take the pamphlet and then pop it in the recycling bin.")
twitter
The Mexican Cafe wasn't the only business fooled by the muted colors and clip art-caliber graphics of the Scientology pamphlet. In Australia, retailers have accidentally put the pamphlets on display, believing that they'd been printed by that country's government. A "horrified" shopper had to tell the manager at one Woolworth's supermarket about what they'd made available to their customers.
"We didn’t authorize the placement of these materials in our check-outs," a spokesperson for the chain told 7News. "As soon as this was brought to the attention of our team by a customer, the pamphlets were removed and discarded." (A 7-11 spokesperson basically said the same thing after a box of the brochures were found in one of its Brisbane stores.)
Dr. Danielle McMullen, the President of the Australian Medical Association - New South Wales said that it was "frustrating" that these booklets were being disseminated. "Don’t take health advice from the Church of Scientology, rely on doctors and the Health Department," she said.
This hasn't just happened in the Southern Hemisphere either. During a May press briefing, Ohio governor Mike DeWine mistakenly showed off a Scientology brochure that he said would be included in a "health kit" that would be distributed to members of minority communities that had been disproportionately affected by coronavirus. (The other items in the kit included face coverings, hand sanitizer, and what DeWine called "equally important literature.")
After the brochure was called out, DeWine's office was quick to say that he had the only copy of "Keep Yourself & Others Well," and that it had not been included in any of the packets that would be given out. Dan Tierney, DeWine's spokesperson, told Cleveland.com that the Scientology booklet had been added by an employee from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC). "The bag was assembled by a DRC staff member as far as what we’ve been able to determine at this point,” he said. “We’re still looking into it.”
twitter
Earlier that month, a group of volunteers who were assembling student meal boxes for the Pinellas County (Fla.) public school district slipped some of their literature—this time, a brochure called "How to Prevent the Spread of Illness with Isolation—into more than 80 boxes.
Those pages violated the district's policy against "engaging in religious activities on school property," and prompted complaints from parents and from members of the school board. Scientology spokesperson Ben Shaw basically told the Tampa Bay Times that the church's volunteers just didn't know that they weren't supposed to give that info to school kids.
"[The church members] confused the different volunteer activities and, in their exuberance, thought the booklets would be helpful to the families receiving the food distribution at home," he said. "We are sorry if anyone was offended. Our volunteers offer assistance in the community for the same reason any volunteer does: they want to help.”
But the situation felt "kind of sneaky" to Bill Dudley, a member of the School Board. "It’s religious advertising, but kind of back-dooring it,” he said. “I appreciate the volunteering. But it should be for the right reasons, not to promote something without authorization."
The Church of Scientology has defended its series of pandemic-related booklets, which include the previously mentioned "How to Keep Yourself & Others Well" and "How to Prevent the Spread of Illness With Isolation," along with "How to Protect Yourself & Others With a Mask & Gloves." A spokesperson has said that they "could not vaguely be considered 'religious literature'" and they don't mention anything about the Church's beliefs—although each one does have a URL and a QR code for the Scientology website, as well as "Courtesy of Church of Scientology International" printed on the back cover.
Printing assorted booklets isn't a new tactic for the church; you can also request copies of other literature like "The Truth About Drugs," "A Description of Scientology," or "The Way of Happiness," which is distributed through the Scientology-adjacent Way to Happiness Foundation. But some of the church's critics (who are often former members) say that these freebies—and the volunteer programs that hand them out—are part of Scientology's plan to be taken seriously, to gain "mainstream" acceptance, and to attract donations and financial support.
"Those activities are never done for the intrinsic value of helping people. It’s always done for the PR," Dani Ballou, who previously worked for Scientology’s Sea Org, told the Tampa Bay Times. "Just the simple act of packing food into a bag for kids for the school system, you wouldn’t dare waste that opportunity to promote church."
The information contained in the "Stay Well" series also seems to be at odds with Scientology leader David Miscavige's personal beliefs about coronavirus. In a March memo he wrote to members of the church, he referred to the "the current hysteria" of the developing pandemic. He also claimed that church members were "preventing and/or killing" coronavirus by cleaning their buildings with "nebulized peroxide and Decon7.” (Neither of those sanitation methods are mentioned in the "Stay Well" booklets.)
Tony Ortega, the former Village Voice editor who has fervently reported on Scientology for his own website, told the Daily Beast that Miscavige had instructed Scientologists to go to their local church to read his letter. "They’re trying to get people to come in. They’re saying you gotta stay with the courses and auditing, and they’re worrying about the money drying up," Ortega said. "Scientology was not set up to be done over the internet. It really requires person-to-person contact."
Last month, a church spokesperson said that there had been zero cases of coronavirus among the congregation of its West Coast headquarters in East Hollywood, Los Angeles. "Our Church’s message to its members is: An ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure," she said.
via VICE US - undefined US VICE US - undefined US via Mom's Kitchen Recipe Network Mom's Kitchen Recipe Network
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Restaurants Have Accidentally Promoted Coronavirus Info From Scientologists
Several months ago, New Zealand's Government produced a "Unite Against Covid-19" campaign that provided health advice, information about good hygiene, and other resources for the country's residents. (It has since been renamed "Unite for the Recovery," since there are currently zero active cases of coronavirus in the country.) Those campaign materials had a minimalist design and an understated black, white, and yellow color palette, so when a similar-looking stack of pamphlets appeared in an Auckland restaurant, no one thought they were at all out-of-place. The 30-plus page booklets, called "How to Keep Yourself & Others Well" shared tips for staying safe during a pandemic, offered some more general health tips... and also had a QR code on the back cover that took readers directly to the Church of Scientology's website.
According to the NZ Herald, as soon as the general manager of the Mexican Cafe realized that the literature hadn't been provided by the Ministry of Health, he removed them from the premises. "We are taking them out just because we are not happy about promoting the Church of Scientology at all," he said.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health told the outlet that there was nothing fundamentally wrong with individual organizations—even the Church of Scientology—"choosing to share general hygiene advice, which is what this appears to be." (Dr. Susie Wiles, a microbiologist who co-created a now viral GIF that explained the concept of "Flattening the Curve" in the early days of the pandemic, was slightly less diplomatic about taking advice from unscientific sources. "You can always just be polite," she said. "Just take the pamphlet and then pop it in the recycling bin.")
twitter
The Mexican Cafe wasn't the only business fooled by the muted colors and clip art-caliber graphics of the Scientology pamphlet. In Australia, retailers have accidentally put the pamphlets on display, believing that they'd been printed by that country's government. A "horrified" shopper had to tell the manager at one Woolworth's supermarket about what they'd made available to their customers.
"We didn’t authorize the placement of these materials in our check-outs," a spokesperson for the chain told 7News. "As soon as this was brought to the attention of our team by a customer, the pamphlets were removed and discarded." (A 7-11 spokesperson basically said the same thing after a box of the brochures were found in one of its Brisbane stores.)
Dr. Danielle McMullen, the President of the Australian Medical Association - New South Wales said that it was "frustrating" that these booklets were being disseminated. "Don’t take health advice from the Church of Scientology, rely on doctors and the Health Department," she said.
This hasn't just happened in the Southern Hemisphere either. During a May press briefing, Ohio governor Mike DeWine mistakenly showed off a Scientology brochure that he said would be included in a "health kit" that would be distributed to members of minority communities that had been disproportionately affected by coronavirus. (The other items in the kit included face coverings, hand sanitizer, and what DeWine called "equally important literature.")
After the brochure was called out, DeWine's office was quick to say that he had the only copy of "Keep Yourself & Others Well," and that it had not been included in any of the packets that would be given out. Dan Tierney, DeWine's spokesperson, told Cleveland.com that the Scientology booklet had been added by an employee from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC). "The bag was assembled by a DRC staff member as far as what we’ve been able to determine at this point,” he said. “We’re still looking into it.”
twitter
Earlier that month, a group of volunteers who were assembling student meal boxes for the Pinellas County (Fla.) public school district slipped some of their literature—this time, a brochure called "How to Prevent the Spread of Illness with Isolation—into more than 80 boxes.
Those pages violated the district's policy against "engaging in religious activities on school property," and prompted complaints from parents and from members of the school board. Scientology spokesperson Ben Shaw basically told the Tampa Bay Times that the church's volunteers just didn't know that they weren't supposed to give that info to school kids.
"[The church members] confused the different volunteer activities and, in their exuberance, thought the booklets would be helpful to the families receiving the food distribution at home," he said. "We are sorry if anyone was offended. Our volunteers offer assistance in the community for the same reason any volunteer does: they want to help.”
But the situation felt "kind of sneaky" to Bill Dudley, a member of the School Board. "It’s religious advertising, but kind of back-dooring it,” he said. “I appreciate the volunteering. But it should be for the right reasons, not to promote something without authorization."
The Church of Scientology has defended its series of pandemic-related booklets, which include the previously mentioned "How to Keep Yourself & Others Well" and "How to Prevent the Spread of Illness With Isolation," along with "How to Protect Yourself & Others With a Mask & Gloves." A spokesperson has said that they "could not vaguely be considered 'religious literature'" and they don't mention anything about the Church's beliefs—although each one does have a URL and a QR code for the Scientology website, as well as "Courtesy of Church of Scientology International" printed on the back cover.
Printing assorted booklets isn't a new tactic for the church; you can also request copies of other literature like "The Truth About Drugs," "A Description of Scientology," or "The Way of Happiness," which is distributed through the Scientology-adjacent Way to Happiness Foundation. But some of the church's critics (who are often former members) say that these freebies—and the volunteer programs that hand them out—are part of Scientology's plan to be taken seriously, to gain "mainstream" acceptance, and to attract donations and financial support.
"Those activities are never done for the intrinsic value of helping people. It’s always done for the PR," Dani Ballou, who previously worked for Scientology’s Sea Org, told the Tampa Bay Times. "Just the simple act of packing food into a bag for kids for the school system, you wouldn’t dare waste that opportunity to promote church."
The information contained in the "Stay Well" series also seems to be at odds with Scientology leader David Miscavige's personal beliefs about coronavirus. In a March memo he wrote to members of the church, he referred to the "the current hysteria" of the developing pandemic. He also claimed that church members were "preventing and/or killing" coronavirus by cleaning their buildings with "nebulized peroxide and Decon7.” (Neither of those sanitation methods are mentioned in the "Stay Well" booklets.)
Tony Ortega, the former Village Voice editor who has fervently reported on Scientology for his own website, told the Daily Beast that Miscavige had instructed Scientologists to go to their local church to read his letter. "They’re trying to get people to come in. They’re saying you gotta stay with the courses and auditing, and they’re worrying about the money drying up," Ortega said. "Scientology was not set up to be done over the internet. It really requires person-to-person contact."
Last month, a church spokesperson said that there had been zero cases of coronavirus among the congregation of its West Coast headquarters in East Hollywood, Los Angeles. "Our Church’s message to its members is: An ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure," she said.
via VICE US - undefined US VICE US - undefined US via Mom's Kitchen Recipe Network Mom's Kitchen Recipe Network
0 notes
Text
Restaurants Have Accidentally Promoted Coronavirus Info From Scientologists
Several months ago, New Zealand's Government produced a "Unite Against Covid-19" campaign that provided health advice, information about good hygiene, and other resources for the country's residents. (It has since been renamed "Unite for the Recovery," since there are currently zero active cases of coronavirus in the country.) Those campaign materials had a minimalist design and an understated black, white, and yellow color palette, so when a similar-looking stack of pamphlets appeared in an Auckland restaurant, no one thought they were at all out-of-place. The 30-plus page booklets, called "How to Keep Yourself & Others Well" shared tips for staying safe during a pandemic, offered some more general health tips... and also had a QR code on the back cover that took readers directly to the Church of Scientology's website.
According to the NZ Herald, as soon as the general manager of the Mexican Cafe realized that the literature hadn't been provided by the Ministry of Health, he removed them from the premises. "We are taking them out just because we are not happy about promoting the Church of Scientology at all," he said.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health told the outlet that there was nothing fundamentally wrong with individual organizations—even the Church of Scientology—"choosing to share general hygiene advice, which is what this appears to be." (Dr. Susie Wiles, a microbiologist who co-created a now viral GIF that explained the concept of "Flattening the Curve" in the early days of the pandemic, was slightly less diplomatic about taking advice from unscientific sources. "You can always just be polite," she said. "Just take the pamphlet and then pop it in the recycling bin.")
twitter
The Mexican Cafe wasn't the only business fooled by the muted colors and clip art-caliber graphics of the Scientology pamphlet. In Australia, retailers have accidentally put the pamphlets on display, believing that they'd been printed by that country's government. A "horrified" shopper had to tell the manager at one Woolworth's supermarket about what they'd made available to their customers.
"We didn’t authorize the placement of these materials in our check-outs," a spokesperson for the chain told 7News. "As soon as this was brought to the attention of our team by a customer, the pamphlets were removed and discarded." (A 7-11 spokesperson basically said the same thing after a box of the brochures were found in one of its Brisbane stores.)
Dr. Danielle McMullen, the President of the Australian Medical Association - New South Wales said that it was "frustrating" that these booklets were being disseminated. "Don’t take health advice from the Church of Scientology, rely on doctors and the Health Department," she said.
This hasn't just happened in the Southern Hemisphere either. During a May press briefing, Ohio governor Mike DeWine mistakenly showed off a Scientology brochure that he said would be included in a "health kit" that would be distributed to members of minority communities that had been disproportionately affected by coronavirus. (The other items in the kit included face coverings, hand sanitizer, and what DeWine called "equally important literature.")
After the brochure was called out, DeWine's office was quick to say that he had the only copy of "Keep Yourself & Others Well," and that it had not been included in any of the packets that would be given out. Dan Tierney, DeWine's spokesperson, told Cleveland.com that the Scientology booklet had been added by an employee from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC). "The bag was assembled by a DRC staff member as far as what we’ve been able to determine at this point,” he said. “We’re still looking into it.”
twitter
Earlier that month, a group of volunteers who were assembling student meal boxes for the Pinellas County (Fla.) public school district slipped some of their literature—this time, a brochure called "How to Prevent the Spread of Illness with Isolation—into more than 80 boxes.
Those pages violated the district's policy against "engaging in religious activities on school property," and prompted complaints from parents and from members of the school board. Scientology spokesperson Ben Shaw basically told the Tampa Bay Times that the church's volunteers just didn't know that they weren't supposed to give that info to school kids.
"[The church members] confused the different volunteer activities and, in their exuberance, thought the booklets would be helpful to the families receiving the food distribution at home," he said. "We are sorry if anyone was offended. Our volunteers offer assistance in the community for the same reason any volunteer does: they want to help.”
But the situation felt "kind of sneaky" to Bill Dudley, a member of the School Board. "It’s religious advertising, but kind of back-dooring it,” he said. “I appreciate the volunteering. But it should be for the right reasons, not to promote something without authorization."
The Church of Scientology has defended its series of pandemic-related booklets, which include the previously mentioned "How to Keep Yourself & Others Well" and "How to Prevent the Spread of Illness With Isolation," along with "How to Protect Yourself & Others With a Mask & Gloves." A spokesperson has said that they "could not vaguely be considered 'religious literature'" and they don't mention anything about the Church's beliefs—although each one does have a URL and a QR code for the Scientology website, as well as "Courtesy of Church of Scientology International" printed on the back cover.
Printing assorted booklets isn't a new tactic for the church; you can also request copies of other literature like "The Truth About Drugs," "A Description of Scientology," or "The Way of Happiness," which is distributed through the Scientology-adjacent Way to Happiness Foundation. But some of the church's critics (who are often former members) say that these freebies—and the volunteer programs that hand them out—are part of Scientology's plan to be taken seriously, to gain "mainstream" acceptance, and to attract donations and financial support.
"Those activities are never done for the intrinsic value of helping people. It’s always done for the PR," Dani Ballou, who previously worked for Scientology’s Sea Org, told the Tampa Bay Times. "Just the simple act of packing food into a bag for kids for the school system, you wouldn’t dare waste that opportunity to promote church."
The information contained in the "Stay Well" series also seems to be at odds with Scientology leader David Miscavige's personal beliefs about coronavirus. In a March memo he wrote to members of the church, he referred to the "the current hysteria" of the developing pandemic. He also claimed that church members were "preventing and/or killing" coronavirus by cleaning their buildings with "nebulized peroxide and Decon7.” (Neither of those sanitation methods are mentioned in the "Stay Well" booklets.)
Tony Ortega, the former Village Voice editor who has fervently reported on Scientology for his own website, told the Daily Beast that Miscavige had instructed Scientologists to go to their local church to read his letter. "They’re trying to get people to come in. They’re saying you gotta stay with the courses and auditing, and they’re worrying about the money drying up," Ortega said. "Scientology was not set up to be done over the internet. It really requires person-to-person contact."
Last month, a church spokesperson said that there had been zero cases of coronavirus among the congregation of its West Coast headquarters in East Hollywood, Los Angeles. "Our Church’s message to its members is: An ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure," she said.
via VICE US - undefined US VICE US - undefined US via Mom's Kitchen Recipe Network Mom's Kitchen Recipe Network
0 notes
Text
Restaurants Have Accidentally Promoted Coronavirus Info From Scientologists
Several months ago, New Zealand's Government produced a "Unite Against Covid-19" campaign that provided health advice, information about good hygiene, and other resources for the country's residents. (It has since been renamed "Unite for the Recovery," since there are currently zero active cases of coronavirus in the country.) Those campaign materials had a minimalist design and an understated black, white, and yellow color palette, so when a similar-looking stack of pamphlets appeared in an Auckland restaurant, no one thought they were at all out-of-place. The 30-plus page booklets, called "How to Keep Yourself & Others Well" shared tips for staying safe during a pandemic, offered some more general health tips... and also had a QR code on the back cover that took readers directly to the Church of Scientology's website.
According to the NZ Herald, as soon as the general manager of the Mexican Cafe realized that the literature hadn't been provided by the Ministry of Health, he removed them from the premises. "We are taking them out just because we are not happy about promoting the Church of Scientology at all," he said.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health told the outlet that there was nothing fundamentally wrong with individual organizations—even the Church of Scientology—"choosing to share general hygiene advice, which is what this appears to be." (Dr. Susie Wiles, a microbiologist who co-created a now viral GIF that explained the concept of "Flattening the Curve" in the early days of the pandemic, was slightly less diplomatic about taking advice from unscientific sources. "You can always just be polite," she said. "Just take the pamphlet and then pop it in the recycling bin.")
twitter
The Mexican Cafe wasn't the only business fooled by the muted colors and clip art-caliber graphics of the Scientology pamphlet. In Australia, retailers have accidentally put the pamphlets on display, believing that they'd been printed by that country's government. A "horrified" shopper had to tell the manager at one Woolworth's supermarket about what they'd made available to their customers.
"We didn’t authorize the placement of these materials in our check-outs," a spokesperson for the chain told 7News. "As soon as this was brought to the attention of our team by a customer, the pamphlets were removed and discarded." (A 7-11 spokesperson basically said the same thing after a box of the brochures were found in one of its Brisbane stores.)
Dr. Danielle McMullen, the President of the Australian Medical Association - New South Wales said that it was "frustrating" that these booklets were being disseminated. "Don’t take health advice from the Church of Scientology, rely on doctors and the Health Department," she said.
This hasn't just happened in the Southern Hemisphere either. During a May press briefing, Ohio governor Mike DeWine mistakenly showed off a Scientology brochure that he said would be included in a "health kit" that would be distributed to members of minority communities that had been disproportionately affected by coronavirus. (The other items in the kit included face coverings, hand sanitizer, and what DeWine called "equally important literature.")
After the brochure was called out, DeWine's office was quick to say that he had the only copy of "Keep Yourself & Others Well," and that it had not been included in any of the packets that would be given out. Dan Tierney, DeWine's spokesperson, told Cleveland.com that the Scientology booklet had been added by an employee from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC). "The bag was assembled by a DRC staff member as far as what we’ve been able to determine at this point,” he said. “We’re still looking into it.”
twitter
Earlier that month, a group of volunteers who were assembling student meal boxes for the Pinellas County (Fla.) public school district slipped some of their literature—this time, a brochure called "How to Prevent the Spread of Illness with Isolation—into more than 80 boxes.
Those pages violated the district's policy against "engaging in religious activities on school property," and prompted complaints from parents and from members of the school board. Scientology spokesperson Ben Shaw basically told the Tampa Bay Times that the church's volunteers just didn't know that they weren't supposed to give that info to school kids.
"[The church members] confused the different volunteer activities and, in their exuberance, thought the booklets would be helpful to the families receiving the food distribution at home," he said. "We are sorry if anyone was offended. Our volunteers offer assistance in the community for the same reason any volunteer does: they want to help.”
But the situation felt "kind of sneaky" to Bill Dudley, a member of the School Board. "It’s religious advertising, but kind of back-dooring it,” he said. “I appreciate the volunteering. But it should be for the right reasons, not to promote something without authorization."
The Church of Scientology has defended its series of pandemic-related booklets, which include the previously mentioned "How to Keep Yourself & Others Well" and "How to Prevent the Spread of Illness With Isolation," along with "How to Protect Yourself & Others With a Mask & Gloves." A spokesperson has said that they "could not vaguely be considered 'religious literature'" and they don't mention anything about the Church's beliefs—although each one does have a URL and a QR code for the Scientology website, as well as "Courtesy of Church of Scientology International" printed on the back cover.
Printing assorted booklets isn't a new tactic for the church; you can also request copies of other literature like "The Truth About Drugs," "A Description of Scientology," or "The Way of Happiness," which is distributed through the Scientology-adjacent Way to Happiness Foundation. But some of the church's critics (who are often former members) say that these freebies—and the volunteer programs that hand them out—are part of Scientology's plan to be taken seriously, to gain "mainstream" acceptance, and to attract donations and financial support.
"Those activities are never done for the intrinsic value of helping people. It’s always done for the PR," Dani Ballou, who previously worked for Scientology’s Sea Org, told the Tampa Bay Times. "Just the simple act of packing food into a bag for kids for the school system, you wouldn’t dare waste that opportunity to promote church."
The information contained in the "Stay Well" series also seems to be at odds with Scientology leader David Miscavige's personal beliefs about coronavirus. In a March memo he wrote to members of the church, he referred to the "the current hysteria" of the developing pandemic. He also claimed that church members were "preventing and/or killing" coronavirus by cleaning their buildings with "nebulized peroxide and Decon7.” (Neither of those sanitation methods are mentioned in the "Stay Well" booklets.)
Tony Ortega, the former Village Voice editor who has fervently reported on Scientology for his own website, told the Daily Beast that Miscavige had instructed Scientologists to go to their local church to read his letter. "They’re trying to get people to come in. They’re saying you gotta stay with the courses and auditing, and they’re worrying about the money drying up," Ortega said. "Scientology was not set up to be done over the internet. It really requires person-to-person contact."
Last month, a church spokesperson said that there had been zero cases of coronavirus among the congregation of its West Coast headquarters in East Hollywood, Los Angeles. "Our Church’s message to its members is: An ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure," she said.
via VICE US - undefined US VICE US - undefined US via Mom's Kitchen Recipe Network Mom's Kitchen Recipe Network
0 notes
Text
Restaurants Have Accidentally Promoted Coronavirus Info From Scientologists
Several months ago, New Zealand's Government produced a "Unite Against Covid-19" campaign that provided health advice, information about good hygiene, and other resources for the country's residents. (It has since been renamed "Unite for the Recovery," since there are currently zero active cases of coronavirus in the country.) Those campaign materials had a minimalist design and an understated black, white, and yellow color palette, so when a similar-looking stack of pamphlets appeared in an Auckland restaurant, no one thought they were at all out-of-place. The 30-plus page booklets, called "How to Keep Yourself & Others Well" shared tips for staying safe during a pandemic, offered some more general health tips... and also had a QR code on the back cover that took readers directly to the Church of Scientology's website.
According to the NZ Herald, as soon as the general manager of the Mexican Cafe realized that the literature hadn't been provided by the Ministry of Health, he removed them from the premises. "We are taking them out just because we are not happy about promoting the Church of Scientology at all," he said.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health told the outlet that there was nothing fundamentally wrong with individual organizations—even the Church of Scientology—"choosing to share general hygiene advice, which is what this appears to be." (Dr. Susie Wiles, a microbiologist who co-created a now viral GIF that explained the concept of "Flattening the Curve" in the early days of the pandemic, was slightly less diplomatic about taking advice from unscientific sources. "You can always just be polite," she said. "Just take the pamphlet and then pop it in the recycling bin.")
twitter
The Mexican Cafe wasn't the only business fooled by the muted colors and clip art-caliber graphics of the Scientology pamphlet. In Australia, retailers have accidentally put the pamphlets on display, believing that they'd been printed by that country's government. A "horrified" shopper had to tell the manager at one Woolworth's supermarket about what they'd made available to their customers.
"We didn’t authorize the placement of these materials in our check-outs," a spokesperson for the chain told 7News. "As soon as this was brought to the attention of our team by a customer, the pamphlets were removed and discarded." (A 7-11 spokesperson basically said the same thing after a box of the brochures were found in one of its Brisbane stores.)
Dr. Danielle McMullen, the President of the Australian Medical Association - New South Wales said that it was "frustrating" that these booklets were being disseminated. "Don’t take health advice from the Church of Scientology, rely on doctors and the Health Department," she said.
This hasn't just happened in the Southern Hemisphere either. During a May press briefing, Ohio governor Mike DeWine mistakenly showed off a Scientology brochure that he said would be included in a "health kit" that would be distributed to members of minority communities that had been disproportionately affected by coronavirus. (The other items in the kit included face coverings, hand sanitizer, and what DeWine called "equally important literature.")
After the brochure was called out, DeWine's office was quick to say that he had the only copy of "Keep Yourself & Others Well," and that it had not been included in any of the packets that would be given out. Dan Tierney, DeWine's spokesperson, told Cleveland.com that the Scientology booklet had been added by an employee from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC). "The bag was assembled by a DRC staff member as far as what we’ve been able to determine at this point,” he said. “We’re still looking into it.”
twitter
Earlier that month, a group of volunteers who were assembling student meal boxes for the Pinellas County (Fla.) public school district slipped some of their literature—this time, a brochure called "How to Prevent the Spread of Illness with Isolation—into more than 80 boxes.
Those pages violated the district's policy against "engaging in religious activities on school property," and prompted complaints from parents and from members of the school board. Scientology spokesperson Ben Shaw basically told the Tampa Bay Times that the church's volunteers just didn't know that they weren't supposed to give that info to school kids.
"[The church members] confused the different volunteer activities and, in their exuberance, thought the booklets would be helpful to the families receiving the food distribution at home," he said. "We are sorry if anyone was offended. Our volunteers offer assistance in the community for the same reason any volunteer does: they want to help.”
But the situation felt "kind of sneaky" to Bill Dudley, a member of the School Board. "It’s religious advertising, but kind of back-dooring it,” he said. “I appreciate the volunteering. But it should be for the right reasons, not to promote something without authorization."
The Church of Scientology has defended its series of pandemic-related booklets, which include the previously mentioned "How to Keep Yourself & Others Well" and "How to Prevent the Spread of Illness With Isolation," along with "How to Protect Yourself & Others With a Mask & Gloves." A spokesperson has said that they "could not vaguely be considered 'religious literature'" and they don't mention anything about the Church's beliefs—although each one does have a URL and a QR code for the Scientology website, as well as "Courtesy of Church of Scientology International" printed on the back cover.
Printing assorted booklets isn't a new tactic for the church; you can also request copies of other literature like "The Truth About Drugs," "A Description of Scientology," or "The Way of Happiness," which is distributed through the Scientology-adjacent Way to Happiness Foundation. But some of the church's critics (who are often former members) say that these freebies—and the volunteer programs that hand them out—are part of Scientology's plan to be taken seriously, to gain "mainstream" acceptance, and to attract donations and financial support.
"Those activities are never done for the intrinsic value of helping people. It’s always done for the PR," Dani Ballou, who previously worked for Scientology’s Sea Org, told the Tampa Bay Times. "Just the simple act of packing food into a bag for kids for the school system, you wouldn’t dare waste that opportunity to promote church."
The information contained in the "Stay Well" series also seems to be at odds with Scientology leader David Miscavige's personal beliefs about coronavirus. In a March memo he wrote to members of the church, he referred to the "the current hysteria" of the developing pandemic. He also claimed that church members were "preventing and/or killing" coronavirus by cleaning their buildings with "nebulized peroxide and Decon7.” (Neither of those sanitation methods are mentioned in the "Stay Well" booklets.)
Tony Ortega, the former Village Voice editor who has fervently reported on Scientology for his own website, told the Daily Beast that Miscavige had instructed Scientologists to go to their local church to read his letter. "They’re trying to get people to come in. They’re saying you gotta stay with the courses and auditing, and they’re worrying about the money drying up," Ortega said. "Scientology was not set up to be done over the internet. It really requires person-to-person contact."
Last month, a church spokesperson said that there had been zero cases of coronavirus among the congregation of its West Coast headquarters in East Hollywood, Los Angeles. "Our Church’s message to its members is: An ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure," she said.
via VICE US - undefined US VICE US - undefined US via Mom's Kitchen Recipe Network Mom's Kitchen Recipe Network
0 notes
Text
Restaurants Have Accidentally Promoted Coronavirus Info From Scientologists
Several months ago, New Zealand's Government produced a "Unite Against Covid-19" campaign that provided health advice, information about good hygiene, and other resources for the country's residents. (It has since been renamed "Unite for the Recovery," since there are currently zero active cases of coronavirus in the country.) Those campaign materials had a minimalist design and an understated black, white, and yellow color palette, so when a similar-looking stack of pamphlets appeared in an Auckland restaurant, no one thought they were at all out-of-place. The 30-plus page booklets, called "How to Keep Yourself & Others Well" shared tips for staying safe during a pandemic, offered some more general health tips... and also had a QR code on the back cover that took readers directly to the Church of Scientology's website.
According to the NZ Herald, as soon as the general manager of the Mexican Cafe realized that the literature hadn't been provided by the Ministry of Health, he removed them from the premises. "We are taking them out just because we are not happy about promoting the Church of Scientology at all," he said.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health told the outlet that there was nothing fundamentally wrong with individual organizations—even the Church of Scientology—"choosing to share general hygiene advice, which is what this appears to be." (Dr. Susie Wiles, a microbiologist who co-created a now viral GIF that explained the concept of "Flattening the Curve" in the early days of the pandemic, was slightly less diplomatic about taking advice from unscientific sources. "You can always just be polite," she said. "Just take the pamphlet and then pop it in the recycling bin.")
twitter
The Mexican Cafe wasn't the only business fooled by the muted colors and clip art-caliber graphics of the Scientology pamphlet. In Australia, retailers have accidentally put the pamphlets on display, believing that they'd been printed by that country's government. A "horrified" shopper had to tell the manager at one Woolworth's supermarket about what they'd made available to their customers.
"We didn’t authorize the placement of these materials in our check-outs," a spokesperson for the chain told 7News. "As soon as this was brought to the attention of our team by a customer, the pamphlets were removed and discarded." (A 7-11 spokesperson basically said the same thing after a box of the brochures were found in one of its Brisbane stores.)
Dr. Danielle McMullen, the President of the Australian Medical Association - New South Wales said that it was "frustrating" that these booklets were being disseminated. "Don’t take health advice from the Church of Scientology, rely on doctors and the Health Department," she said.
This hasn't just happened in the Southern Hemisphere either. During a May press briefing, Ohio governor Mike DeWine mistakenly showed off a Scientology brochure that he said would be included in a "health kit" that would be distributed to members of minority communities that had been disproportionately affected by coronavirus. (The other items in the kit included face coverings, hand sanitizer, and what DeWine called "equally important literature.")
After the brochure was called out, DeWine's office was quick to say that he had the only copy of "Keep Yourself & Others Well," and that it had not been included in any of the packets that would be given out. Dan Tierney, DeWine's spokesperson, told Cleveland.com that the Scientology booklet had been added by an employee from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC). "The bag was assembled by a DRC staff member as far as what we’ve been able to determine at this point,” he said. “We’re still looking into it.”
twitter
Earlier that month, a group of volunteers who were assembling student meal boxes for the Pinellas County (Fla.) public school district slipped some of their literature—this time, a brochure called "How to Prevent the Spread of Illness with Isolation—into more than 80 boxes.
Those pages violated the district's policy against "engaging in religious activities on school property," and prompted complaints from parents and from members of the school board. Scientology spokesperson Ben Shaw basically told the Tampa Bay Times that the church's volunteers just didn't know that they weren't supposed to give that info to school kids.
"[The church members] confused the different volunteer activities and, in their exuberance, thought the booklets would be helpful to the families receiving the food distribution at home," he said. "We are sorry if anyone was offended. Our volunteers offer assistance in the community for the same reason any volunteer does: they want to help.”
But the situation felt "kind of sneaky" to Bill Dudley, a member of the School Board. "It’s religious advertising, but kind of back-dooring it,” he said. “I appreciate the volunteering. But it should be for the right reasons, not to promote something without authorization."
The Church of Scientology has defended its series of pandemic-related booklets, which include the previously mentioned "How to Keep Yourself & Others Well" and "How to Prevent the Spread of Illness With Isolation," along with "How to Protect Yourself & Others With a Mask & Gloves." A spokesperson has said that they "could not vaguely be considered 'religious literature'" and they don't mention anything about the Church's beliefs—although each one does have a URL and a QR code for the Scientology website, as well as "Courtesy of Church of Scientology International" printed on the back cover.
Printing assorted booklets isn't a new tactic for the church; you can also request copies of other literature like "The Truth About Drugs," "A Description of Scientology," or "The Way of Happiness," which is distributed through the Scientology-adjacent Way to Happiness Foundation. But some of the church's critics (who are often former members) say that these freebies—and the volunteer programs that hand them out—are part of Scientology's plan to be taken seriously, to gain "mainstream" acceptance, and to attract donations and financial support.
"Those activities are never done for the intrinsic value of helping people. It’s always done for the PR," Dani Ballou, who previously worked for Scientology’s Sea Org, told the Tampa Bay Times. "Just the simple act of packing food into a bag for kids for the school system, you wouldn’t dare waste that opportunity to promote church."
The information contained in the "Stay Well" series also seems to be at odds with Scientology leader David Miscavige's personal beliefs about coronavirus. In a March memo he wrote to members of the church, he referred to the "the current hysteria" of the developing pandemic. He also claimed that church members were "preventing and/or killing" coronavirus by cleaning their buildings with "nebulized peroxide and Decon7.” (Neither of those sanitation methods are mentioned in the "Stay Well" booklets.)
Tony Ortega, the former Village Voice editor who has fervently reported on Scientology for his own website, told the Daily Beast that Miscavige had instructed Scientologists to go to their local church to read his letter. "They’re trying to get people to come in. They’re saying you gotta stay with the courses and auditing, and they’re worrying about the money drying up," Ortega said. "Scientology was not set up to be done over the internet. It really requires person-to-person contact."
Last month, a church spokesperson said that there had been zero cases of coronavirus among the congregation of its West Coast headquarters in East Hollywood, Los Angeles. "Our Church’s message to its members is: An ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure," she said.
via VICE US - undefined US VICE US - undefined US via Mom's Kitchen Recipe Network Mom's Kitchen Recipe Network
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Text
15+5+5 To Watch 2320
15 TO WATCH/5 SPORTS TECH/POWER OF SPORTS 5: RICK HORROW’S TOP SPORTS/BIZ/TECH/PHILANTHROPY ISSUES FOR THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 3
with Jacob Aere
Patrick Mahomes leads the Chiefs to their first Super Bowl victory in 50 years, and the sky’s the limit for the quarterback phenom, his team, and their city. Mahomes, who also captured NFL MVP honors, doesn’t turn 25 until September. His likely longevity, and the youth of many of the Chief’s other stars, are the main reasons that the Chiefs could be starting a string of Super Bowl appearances. Kansas City will now experience a new chapter in its community brand, one much more prestigious than the footnote of appearing (and getting beat) in the very first Super Bowl game 54 years ago. Look for local businesses such as respected international architecture firm Populous and greeting card giant Hallmark to capitalize. Also in line to cash in is Mahomes himself. As his rookie deal ends, Mahomes is eligible for a contract extension this offseason, which will likely see him land the NFL’s first $200 million contract and emerge as the league’s highest paid player. Whatever deal his agent Leigh Steinberg – not the fictional State Farm hack – negotiates, it’s a price the Chiefs should be willing to pay to continue their quest for more championships, and an international elevation of their brand.
The NFL reported that more than 30 charitable activities and community outreach events were on deck ahead of Super Bowl LIV. The big game in Miami served as the conclusion of the NFL’s season-long Huddle for 100 initiative, which encouraged people to donate 100 minutes of their time in honor of the NFL’s 100th season, totaling 100 million minutes – a goal in which the league surpassed in November. Super Bowl Week activities include the announcement of the annual Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide winner, a series of community projects made possible by NFL Foundation Super Bowl Legacy Grants and the Super Bowl LIV Host Committee and a number of youth health and wellness events including the NFL PLAY 60 Kids’ Day. During the week, the NFL and Verizon also hosted an Unsung Heroes luncheon for volunteers and employees at local domestic violence and sexual assault prevention organizations and shelters, among other activities. Even though the NFL season has now drawn to a close, the league’s tradition of giving back and making a positive impact in communities continues throughout the year.
Super Bowl LIV is in the record books, but celebrations in Miami continue. On Monday night, HSBC and Rick Horrow present SportBusiness 50: Lessons And Leadership From Legends Of The Game. The event, held at the University of Miami, features panelists including Dolphins Vice Chairman Tom Garfinkel, NFL Hall of Fame President and CEO David Baker, and RISE CEO Diahann Billings-Burford. The “Lessons And Leadership” Series will draw on contributors to Horrow’s latest book, The Sport Business Handbook: Insights from 100+ Leaders Who Shaped 50 Years of the Industry. The collaboration between HSBC and Horrow kicks off in Miami, focusing on the greatest moments in South Florida sports history and how technology has disrupted the industry. “We are always looking for new and interesting ways to connect with our clients and support their personal and professional growth,” said Michael Rogan, Head of Corporate & Strategic Partners, Retail Banking and Wealth Management, HSBC USA. “Collaborating with Rick on the launch of his new book provides us with an exclusive platform to share insights, perspectives and solutions from luminaries in the sports industry that will help support the long-term business success of our clients and prospects.” We will share the top “greatest moments” next week.
A new report predicts that sports sponsorship spending will increase the most it has in a decade. Global spending on sports sponsorships by advertisers is predicted to total $48.4 billion this year, up 5%, according to a new report from marketing intelligence firm WARC. The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo is expected to garner $5.94 billion in sponsorship dollars, with $1.95 billion coming from Olympic partners including Coca-Cola and P&G, double the amount sponsors spent at the previous games. The report also predicts that local sponsors in Japan including Canon, Asahi, and Fujitsu will spend $3.33 billion, four times the amount spent during Rio's 2016 games. The report also forecasts that brand investment in esports will total $795 million this year, up 23.1%, with $584 million going to sponsorships and $211 million to ad breaks. Further, NBC projects that the Summer Olympics in Tokyo will set a record by surpassing the $1.2 billion in TV commercials it sold during 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro, per Front Office Sports. The network has already booked $1 billion in ad revenue commitments, and the Games are still five months away.
The Chinese Football Association (CFA) has postponed all national soccer leagues at all levels, including the top-flight Chinese Super League club competition, due to the escalation of the coronavirus epidemic. China’s premier soccer league was due to start play on February 22. A new start date for the Super League and China’s soccer tournaments has not yet been announced. The CFA said in a statement, “In order to help prevent and control the spread of the coronavirus epidemic, and to protect the health of fans, media, players, coaches, game officials, clubs and staff, the CFA has decided to postpone the start of the 2020 national football competitions at all levels.” The Chinese women’s national soccer team arrived in Brisbane on January 29 for their Tokyo 2020 Olympics qualifier match versus Australia after the players and staff passed a coronavirus screening. The match, which was due to be held in Wuhan, was moved to Australia due to the escalating situation in China. The coronavirus outbreak has also seen the 2020 World Athletics Indoor Championships, which was due to take place in the Chinese city of Nanjing March 13-15, postponed on the advice of the World Health Organization until next year.
Tokyo 2020 organizers enter the final stretch of a decade of Olympics planning. According to Japan Today, the organizers are dealing with fewer issues than their counterparts did in the build-up to Rio four years ago. But a few challenges still remain before the opening ceremony on July 24, including the city's notoriously hot summer weather. "Everything is coming together now, and we are extremely excited," Tokyo 2020 spokesman Masa Takaya told Reuters. "It has been a long journey, with some bumps here and there, but for the most part everything has gone well. Everything is where we wanted it to be with six months to go – sometimes in an even better place." Noticeably different from Brazil is the weight of public support behind the Tokyo Games, with almost 4.5 million Olympics tickets having already been sold on the domestic market. By contrast, the Rio Olympics were met with widespread criticism over the use of public funds, as money was poured into venues that have since largely become white elephants. The centerpiece of Tokyo's Olympics is the 68,000-capacity National Stadium, opened by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in December.
Anheuser-Busch announced a partnership between the iconic Dominican pilsner Presidente Beer and Alex Rodriguez, with Rodriquez joining the company as Chairman of Presidente USA. “Growing up as a Dominican-American in the US, Presidente was not only a beer, it was part of our community. It connected my parents to their home and was a part of every major community event, big or small,” said Rodriguez. “It is truly an honor to get behind a brand with such a deep connection to my heritage and culture, and I cannot wait to help build its future.” As Chairman of Presidente USA, Rodriguez will help grow the Presidente brand presence in the U.S. in 2020 and beyond, including the release of new products and materials. Rodriguez’ fiancée and Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime performer Jennifer Lopez was, in the minds of many viewers, an even bigger star on Super Bowl Sunday than the victorious Chiefs. With every international deal, Rodriguez and Lopez cement their reputation as the leading power couple in sports and entertainment.
A U.S. House of Representatives resolution targets minor league contractions in baseball. Less than two weeks before major league pitchers and catchers are due to report to spring training on February 12, a group of U.S. representatives led by Lori Trahan (D-Mass.) have introduced a resolution imploring MLB to "abandon its proposal to strip major-league affiliation from 42 minor-league teams across the country." The bipartisan legislation, according to the Boston Globe, is an "outgrowth of the 'Save Minor League Baseball' Task Force formed late last year." The measure is "non-binding, but after being assigned to a committee, the sponsors' goal will be to bring the measure to the floor of the chamber for a full House vote." Approval is "not guaranteed but the bipartisan support suggests passage would be more likely than not, an outcome that could stiffen headwinds MLB is already facing” in its talks with MiLB over a new working agreement. As baseball season inches closer and the 2020 elections heat up, look for more candidates nationwide to come out in support of MiLB and what it means to our communities.
The World Golf Group (WGG) events organization has unveiled plans for a new 18-event global tour featuring a $240 million total prize fund. The Premier Golf League (PGL) is scheduled to launch in January, 2022, with an eight-month season and 10 U.S.-based events. New York-based merchant bank the Raine Group is backing the new series as it aims to shake up the golf landscape by recruiting 48 top players for the tour. The format will see a champion decided after the 17th event, and the final staged as a team playoff. Select players would be awarded part-ownership of a team franchise, which would then give them the chance to share in “significant equity value.” A WGG statement read, “We believe we’ll succeed because the league is what fans, sponsors and broadcasters want — and the best players deserve.” WGG is eager to work with the PGA Tour and European Tour rather than act as a breakaway league. However, golf’s premier tours have dismissed the concept.
The PGA Tour announced that the Tour and its tournaments have surpassed $3 billion in all-time charitable giving. The charitable total, which includes a record $204.3 million in 2019 to bring the all-time total to $3.05 billion, includes donations made by tournaments on the PGA Tour, PGA Tour Champions, Korn Ferry Tour, Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada, PGA Tour Latinoamérica and PGA Tour Series-China. “It’s truly a pleasure to thank our fans, sponsors, tournaments, players and volunteers for helping us generate over $3 billion for charity and positively impact millions of lives,” said PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan. “Together, we look forward to continuing to reach – and celebrate – millions more.” That’s an impressive number – as is the winner’s take just announced for the 2020 Players Championship. The PGA Tour, according to the Florida Times-Union, has “boosted the purse" for the event to $15 million in total and restored it to its "position as the tournament with the richest purse in golf.” The 2020 winner will take home $2.7 million, up from $2.25 million for the 2019 event won by Rory McIlroy.
Kobe Bryant will be recognized at the 92nd Oscars ceremony. The LA Lakers icon, who was killed with his daughter, Gianna, and seven others last Sunday, has been honored – and appropriately so – at seemingly every international and domestic sporting event over the past week, including during last Sunday’s Grammy awards and during the Super Bowl LIV pregame ceremonies. Now, Bryant will be honored on the motion picture industry’s biggest stage. Bryant won an Animated Short Oscar in 2018 for “Dear Basketball,” a short film that revolved around an essay he wrote as he neared retirement from the NBA in 2016. The 2020 Academy Awards air Sunday, February 9 on ABC. With the recognition at that event, Bryant will posthumously garner accolades at America’s trifecta of major awards shows, this year falling on back to back to back Sundays. And alongside the respects paid to him are remembrances of the eight other people who tragically lost their lives last Sunday, including Bryant’s daughter Gianna and two of her teammates, taken way too young.
Snapchat promotes its ability to reach millennials and Gen Z during March Madness. While everyone else’s mind is on Super Bowl LIV, Snapchat is focused on March Madness. According to Snap Inc. internal surveys, as reported by Hashtag Sports, nearly 75% of Snapchatters who intend to watch the 2019-2020 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship use the messaging application while watching live sports. Additionally, over 65% of that group will use Snapchat to chat with their friends about the games. Snapchat saw incremental reach up 23% on average among its advertisers’ target audiences, according to Nielsen, and 72% of the app’s Gen Z reach was not reached by TV. Snapchat concluded, “Marketers can look forward to March Madness on Snapchat in 2020 because of the hyper-relevant content on our platform, Snapchatters’ engagement during live sports events, our proven ability to add incremental reach to TV advertising and the strong performance advertisers saw during March Madness in 2019.” Reaching a desirable young demographic, clearly, is a snap.
While young American Sofia Kenin captured the women’s Australian Open title, 2019 U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu is fast becoming a heavyweight commercial asset in tennis, capable of commanding $35,331 per social media post, according to a recent study undertaken by Nielsen Sports. Drawing on data from the Influencer Selection and Measurement framework study, which saw Nielsen analyze athlete social media profiles over the last six months, the 19-year-old Canadian is ranked as the highest-performing athlete aged 25 or under. Andreescu’s social media followers grew by 585% over the course of the study, averaging 97,000 likes and 1,100 comments per post. Based on Nielsen’s framework grading, Andreescu scored 19 out of 20, which accounts for factors such as follower growth, engagement levels, and overall media value per post. Andreesu was forced to withdraw ahead of the Australian Open after failing to recover from a knee injury picked up at the WTA Finals in October. However, her and Kenin’s Slam victories represent a growing youth takeover in women’s tennis.
SoFi Stadium builders said that the venue is 85% complete, but "finishing touches will take up much of the construction horde's remaining time" before the Inglewood venue opens in late July. Rams Executive VP and COO Kevin Demoff told the Associated Press, "Everybody here feels confident about the timeline and how it will come together. There's been no indication to us that there's been any slippage." The Rams and Chargers will take advantage of the stadium's "late-summer concerts and their own preseason games to work out any quirks or adjustments before the regular season begins." The 298-acre Hollywood Park development surrounding the stadium will "take longer to complete, although construction is already underway on the 450,000-square-foot building that will house NFL Media" beginning in 2021. Crews also are "currently building the stadium's translucent roof, with roughly 40% of the panels already in place." USC School of Architecture Associate Professor Alvin Huang said, "They're going against the historic convention of stadium design where it is a closed roof or a retractable roof." He added, "You will literally have millions of people looking at it from above. The roof not only becomes an architectural signature, it also becomes a branding signature."
The launch of non-profit organization USA Cornhole has nailed a partner in NBC Sports, which will carry four National Events on NBCSN in 2020. Coverage begins on NBCSN on May 24, 2020 with the USA Forces Cornhole Championship, and will be followed by presentations of the USA Cornhole Club Championship, USA Cornhole Pro-Celebrity Charity Invitational, and USA Cornhole National Championship, in the second half of 2020. USA Cornhole will be based out of Denver. Kevin Warner will serve as Executive Director, and the new league will have a board of directors with representation from around the country made up of athletes and individuals from the business community. In news that’s not related but seems like it should be, Foster Farms Corn Dogs locked in a new partnership with WWE, launching a campaign featuring WWE Superstar Lacey Evans and her daughter Summer, as they face off against the “Hunger Monster.” The deal will run through 2020 and feature retail activation, a sweepstakes, micro site, and social media engagement rolling out into WWE SummerSlam in August, 2020.
Top Five Tech
Verizon and the NFL developed AR technology on the NFL OnePass App for Super Bowl LIV. According to Sports Video Group, Verizon and the NFL jointly developed applications that came to life for fans at Hard Rock Stadium within the NFL OnePass app. All fans using the NFL OnePass app will be able to take advantage of AR overlays of big plays and stats across 4G networks, including new features such as in-stadium wayfinding and augmented reality entertainment experiences. And for Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband customers attending the game, the application also offered a new multi-camera angle streaming feature to choose the best angle for live action and instant replays. In addition to the Verizon-built features for fans in the stadium, the app included the full schedule of events, appearances, maps, and a chance to win prizes including game tickets. This was likely a first test of an app that will be used widely at official NFL events next season and allow fans to be better connected, even when they are at the game
Online Super Bowl betting was projected to take in $400 million. According to Yahoo Sports, legal online and retail sportsbooks across the country were on track to take in $400 million in total bets for Super Bowl LIV. Even if that is an overestimation, it is likely that the February 2 matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs brought in more money via legal sportsbooks than ever before. The Super Bowl is by far the most bet-on sporting event in the U.S., drawing an estimated $6 billion in legal and illegal bets in 2019, according to the American Gaming Association. That number will reach almost $7 billion in 2020, the AGA estimates. This year thirteen states, representing a combined population of 70 million, offered a means to place a legal bet on this year's Super Bowl with eight of those states offering both online and retail sports betting. Prop bets, including who would win the coin toss and the color of Gatorade dumped on winning coach Andy Reid (purple) would keep more fans invested in the game and the online betting community happy with its biggest result in the U.S. to date.
ESPN is rolling out 500 live shows across YouTube, Facebook and other platforms. According to Digiday, the TV network opened 2020 by announcing that it had hired House of Highlights founder Omar Raja. The company has also renovated the studio previously used by one of its most popular TV shows, “First Take,” to give ESPN’s digital programming its own, 2,750-square-foot home. This year, ESPN plans to air more than 500 live original shows across its own digital properties and platforms including YouTube, Twitter, Snapchat, and Facebook. And the tally tops the more than 400 digital shows that ESPN aired in 2019, which was double its 2018 figure. In December 2019, all ESPN sites and apps combined received 102.4 million unique visitors in the U.S., a 4% increase from the December 2018 mark; ESPN’s video viewership via social media has ballooned over the past year with 2.2 billion video views in December 2019, a 58% increase, according to Tubular Labs. The expansion of ESPN’s live digital programming and social media presence should help its business at a time when TV advertisers are planning to shift more money online, particularly to reach younger people who are less likely to tune into traditional TV.
Hyundai unveiled TikTok video to support Super Bowl campaign of Boston stars. According to Mobile Marketer, the carmaker is the first automotive brand on the social media platform, and it debuted a TikTok video to support a Super Bowl campaign that included a 60-second commercial starring Boston celebrities. Hyundai's TikTok video stars former "Saturday Night Live" cast member Rachel Dratch, who also appeared in the Super Bowl spot, completing the #onedayafterwatching challenge. The popular TikTok challenge urges people to share videos of how watching a TV show or movie changes their behavior. Hyundai's Super Bowl social media campaign included a takeover of its Twitter account by Boston-area comedians Robert Kelly and Tony Viveiros. They live-tweeted from the @Hyundai account and responded to fans and viewers during the Super Bowl, and hosted four segments of "The Hyundai Quartertime Show" that were posted online throughout the game. With Super Bowl smartphone viewership on the rise among millennials and Gen Z, Hyundai is looking to connect with a young audience through the TikTok challenge.
YouTube and Google sign an exclusive streaming deal with esports Activision Blizzard. According to The Verge, video game publisher Activision Blizzard will see the Google cloud platform power all of its game hosting and technical needs. As part of the deal, YouTube will become the exclusive streaming partner for all of the game publisher’s big e-sports titles, including the upcoming season of the Overwatch League and the Call of Duty League. The deal is a huge win for YouTube, which has struggled to compete with game streaming leader Twitch, despite YouTube being the largest video site in the world and the second most-visited website on the planet behind only its parent company’s search engine. Twitch has long been the go-to destination for live gaming entertainment. In the larger esports streaming context, it’s Amazon-owned Twitch competing against Google-owned YouTube, while Facebook is also trying to build out its own live-streaming platform to capitalize on the popularity of gaming content. It is only a matter of time before other big streaming players, such as Disney, HBO, and Netflix try to get more involved in the live-streaming and gaming spaces, so Twitch and YouTube need to solidify their foothold on the new industry quickly.
Power of Sports Five
Vanessa Bryant announces a fund to direct donations to other families of helicopter crash victims that killed her husband Kobe and daughter Gianna. According to Business Insider, Vanessa Bryant posted on Instagram about the crash, thanking the "millions of people who've shown support and love during this horrific time." She also announced a new fund called the MambaOnThree Foundation set up to support the families affected by the tragedy. The new fund is being set up in conjunction with Kobe Bryant's youth sports charity, the Mamba Sports Foundation, in order to further Kobe and Gianna's legacy, Vanessa Bryant conveyed. According to information on the new foundation’s website, all proceeds from the fund will be directed to the families of the other victims. As the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration continue to investigate the crash, there is a way to show financially support for all of the loved ones of those who lost family in the tragedy.
Didier Drogba and Dwight Yorke to play in a charity game to combat the Australian bushfires. According to the BBC, FootballForFires match will take place at Sydney's ANZ Stadium on Saturday, May 23. Former Manchester United forward Dwight Yorke, ex-Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, former Juventus striker David Trezeguet, ex-Manchester United midfielder Ji-sung Park, and former Sunderland and Leeds striker Michael Bridges are players confirmed to play in support of relief efforts for the widespread Australian natural disaster. Since September, blazes have killed at least 30 people, destroyed over 2,000 homes, and burnt through 10 million hectares of land - an area almost the size of England. Proceeds from ticket sales and donations from the match will be used to help football clubs affected by the fires across Australia. The damages from the fires are widespread in the sports world but the Australian Football League, Rugby Australia, Cricket Australia, Football Federation Australia, National Rugby League, Netball Australia, and Tennis Australia plan to work together with the government and relevant agencies to rebuild sport facilities.
The NBA makes major All-Star Game format changes that include a tribute to Kobe Bryant. According to Larry Brown Sports, the 2020 NBA All-Star Game will be broken into a series of mini-games in which teams can raise money for Chicago-area charities. Scores will be reset to 0-0 at the end of the first three quarters, with the winners of each of the first three quarters receiving $100,000 to donate to their charity. When the fourth quarter begins, the scores for each team from the first three quarters combined will be redisplayed, and the team that wins the All-Star Game will be the first to reach a target score in the untimed fourth quarter. That target score will be determined by the total score the leading team through three quarters, plus 24. The 24 is a nod to Bryant’s jersey number. The final score is worth $200,000, making the total game worth $500,000 for local charities. If one team leads the entire way through, the losing team will still get $100,000 to donate to its charity. In an effort to honor Kobe Bryant and contribute to local charities, the NBA will make sure to place the Lakers star center stage during this year’s All-Star game.
Adidas will launch new fabrics from recycled polyester and ocean plastic. According to Reuters, the new fabrics will be expanded into Adidas product lines after the success of shoes made with the eco-friendly Parley for the Oceans initiative. Adidas first teamed up with Parley in 2015 and gradually ramped up production of shoes using plastic collected on beaches and coastal regions to make more than 11 million pairs in 2019, still just a fraction of a total of more than 400 million shoes. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation says less than 1% of material used for new clothing is recycled, a loss of more than $100 billion worth of materials each year. Adidas will continue to make Parley-branded shoes and clothes out of ocean plastic in 2020 and will also launch “Primeblue” fabric containing Parley marine waste that it will use in existing lines like its popular Ultraboost shoes, with the aim of having 100% of its polyester recycled by 2024. In total, the German sports giant will produce 15-20 million pairs of shoes using ocean plastic in 2020. While recycled polyester costs about 10% more than the other material, Adidas ultimately wants to get the price down so more consumers can afford to choose sustainable products and help save the planet.
New York Jets linebacker Brandon Copeland receives NFLPA's Alan Page Award. According to UPI, the award is the NFLPA's highest honor presented to an NFL player each season. Copeland will receive a $100,000 donation either to his foundation or a charity of his choice. Copeland was presented the award by Alan Page himself at the NFLPA's Super Bowl week news conference in Miami. Copeland received the honor after taking 300 children on a Christmas shopping spree to Target, with each child getting $200 gift cards to spend. Many NFL players made differences in their communities throughout the football season, and ahead of the NFL’s biggest game, it is important to remember the players like Copeland who make their communities better year-round.
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