SACHIN & AISHWARYA LEAD COCA-COLA NDTV SMS CAMPAIGN TO RECORD FUNDRAISING OF OVER RS. 13.6 CRORE FOR RURAL SCHOOLS
Funds to help revitalize 272 schools by providing access to toilets, playground and other basic amenities in rural and semi-urban schools; The Coca-Cola Foundation commits Rs. 2.5 crore towards the campaign bringing its tally to Rs. 5 crore for Season 2
For the first time ever, the 12 hour Support My School Telethon was LIVE streamed on Sachin Tendulkar’s Facebook page (which is the world’s biggest Cricketing Community with 9.2 million people) www.facebook.com/sachin.tendulkar and video sharing website YouTube.

Atul Singh, President and CEO, Coca-Cola India & South West Asia, Vikram Chandra, CEO, NDTV India, leading actress Aishwarya Rai along with Campaign Ambassador Sachin Tendulkar kick-started the Support My School Telethon
The Telethon, which marked the culmination of a 6-month long fundraising drive, witnessed participation from eminent celebrities and garnered support from corporate houses, NGOs, students and individuals
Major donors for the initiative included Campaign Ambassador Sachin tendulakar (Rs. 10 Lakh),Actors Aishwarya Rai Bachan(Rs. 10 Lakh), Ajay Devgan & Kajol (Rs.10 Lakh), Tetra Pak (Rs.20 Lakh), UN-Habitat (Rs.94 Lakh), Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd. (Rs.25 lakh) and SRF Foundations ( Rs. 10 lakh)
NGOs Plan and World vision, partners of the campaign, pledged to raise funds to support 50 more schools apart from 50 which are already being revitalized
Edition 1 of Support My School revitalized over 100 schools in rural and semi-urban areas across 10 states, touching the lives of over 43,000 students; Campaign has helped reduce absenteeism and increase enrollment in the revitalized schools, especially amongst girls.
Mumbai/Delhi, 4th February, 2013: The fundraising efforts of Coca-Cola NDTV Support My School Telethon 2013 have raised pledges worth Rs. 13.6 crores towards revitalization of 272 schools in rural and semi-urban regions in Season 2 of the Support My School campaign. The Telethon, which marked culmination of a 6 month long fundraising drive, received pledges from several organizations and individuals alike, with significant contributions from donors such as UN-Habitat (Rs. 94 Lakh), Tetra Pak ( Rs. 20 Lakh), Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd (Rs.25 Lakh) and SRF Foundation (Rs. 10 Lakh) and towards raising the amount. The Coca-Cola Foundation committed Rs. 2.5 crore towards the same bringing its tally to Rs. 5 crore for Season 2. The total pledge amount raised at the Telethon broke the previous year’s record to be one of the highest amounts ever raised through a Telethon in the country.

Sachin Tendulkar and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, led the 12-hour telethon which raised funds and pledges for the revitalization of schools. The pledges raised for Season 2 are twice the amount raised for season 1 of the Support My School Campaign. The campaign in its two seasons has collectively raised nearly Rs. 20 crores through the telethon.
For the first time ever, the 12 hour Support My School Telethon was also LIVE streamed on Sachin Tendulkar’s Facebook page (which is the world’s biggest Cricketing Community with 9.2 million people) and also on video sharing website, YouTube. This allowed viewers who don’t have access to TV to use their handheld devices, log onto Sachin’s Facebook page and donate generously towards making a positive difference in the lives of the students across the country.
The second edition of the Support My School Telethon, held at Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai, was kickeded off by Atul Singh, President and CEO, Coca-Cola India & South West Asia, Vikram Chandra, CEO, NDTV India, Campaign Ambassador Sachin Tendulkar and leading actress Aishwarya Rai. In Season 1, the campaign successfully completed revitalization initiatives in more than 100 schools, thereby touching the lives of over 43,000 students, with reduced absenteeism and increase in enrollments, especially amongst girls, as a result.

The leading donors to the campaign were Tetra Pak, SRF Foundation and UN-Habitat. One of the major supporters of the campaign, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCBPL) contributed Rs. 25 lakhs to the campaign. At the launch of Season 2 of the campaign, Plan and World Vision along with The Coca-Cola Foundation had jointly committed USD 1 Million for 100 schools. Some of the schools funded through this drive were also inaugurated live in Jaipur and Lucknow. Based on the success and impact, World Vision and Plan, further pledged to raise and commit funds for 50 schools.
The telethon was also supported by political leaders from across the county, such as Priya Dutt, Shashi Tharoor and Bhupender Singh Hooda. Several Celebrities including Anil Kapoor, Rahul Bose, Kailash Kher, Ayushmann Khurrana, Shweta Tiwari, Sushant Singh, Cyrus Broacha, Boman Irani also offered support and joined the telethon. Ajay Devgan and Kajol, who contributed in the first year also, joined in year 2 to help support the cause. Celebrities across India supported the cause by joining hands to spread the word and offer opportunities to children in rural schools. Popular superstar, Nagarjuna presented films by his school AISFM along with children of the rural schools of Hyderabad region. PT Usha travelled to rural Sonepat as part of the Speedstar campaign to unearth athletic talent for India.
Speaking at the event, Campaign Ambassador Sachin Tendulkar said, “Telethon 2013 has once again been an overwhelming experience with higher levels of enthusiasm and support for the Support My School campaign than ever before. The campaign is very close to my heart and I am delighted at the response we have received this time from individuals and corporations alike. Congratulations to Coca-Cola and all campaign partners who came together to make this a success. Season 2 of the campaign is underway and I look forward to scoring another double century with the campaign.”
Speaking about the campaign and Coca-Cola’s vision, Speaking about the campaign and Coca-Cola’s vision, Mr. Atul Singh, President & CEO, Coca-Cola India and South West Asia said, “It has been a heartening experience to see the various stakeholders who came together for this noble cause today. We believe that Support My School’s success is a result of collective endeavor and this has been proven again today. I am proud to be part of this initiative which is not only revitalizing schools but also helping shift the national focus to the issues plaguing our education infrastructure. The response we have received this year has surpassed the previous year and indeed our target, and I am excited about the next leg of the journey of this campaign, this season. The contributions raised at the Telethon 2013 will go a long way in fulfilling our vision for season 2 and bring more children back to where they belong.in schools.”
Vikram Chandra, CEO, NDTV said, “It has been a long and fruitful journey with Support My School, over the last two years. As a platform which brings together different corporate houses, NGOs, groups and many supporters from across the globe, this campaign has proved to be a great learning experience. Support My School has travelled all over the country to change the landscape of education in rural and semi-urban India and we are proud to have accomplished revitalization in over 100 schools on this path. At NDTV, we have always been involved with social causes and aim to activate our viewers by creating awareness and encouraging participation. We are grateful to everyone who has provided us support and helped spread the cause of this campaign to others.”

Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who led the telethon along with Sachin Tendulkar said, “Joining the Support My School Team on this platform today truly gives me great pleasure. I believe education is immensely invaluable, essential and the most empowering gift we can give the children of our Country. Every child deserves the best of opportunities to grow and prosper. Every girl needs to recognize that she herself is a beacon of hope and has the potential to influence her future. I understand and recognize that for this to be possible these opportunities have to be made available to our children. In a vast country like India, there are many and varied challenges one faces while working with diverse rural and semi-urban communities. Individually, we may not comprehend these challenges, but collectively we are much stronger. The overwhelming response to the campaign this time has proven that. With 272 schools and counting, the Second Season of Coca-Cola NDTV Support My School is spreading the joy of learning amongst the children of our country… and this has only been possible thanks to the support and encouragement from donors, viewers, campaign partners and all on board the collective effort today. God Bless everyone for their contribution and thank you.”

About Support My School

Coca-Cola joined hands with NDTV to launch Support My School in association with UN-Habitat. Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), Worldvision, Plan, Pearson Foundation, Tata Teleservices. It undertakes the following core activities:
Provision of improved access to water

Appropriate sanitation facility for girls and boys

Improvement in the overall infrastructure and environment

Provision for sports and recreation facilities

Recharging groundwater through rainwater harvesting

With such necessary amenities in place, schools are able to provide a cleaner and healthier environment more conducive to learning.

Education in rural India suffers from several issues where lack of sanitation is a key reason for absenteeism and dropouts amongst students. This is especially noted in young girls who are forced to quit as they enter adolescence due to a lack of clean and functional toilets. Children are also likely to fall sick more often without clean water to drink or to wash hands. Support My School endeavours to eliminate this basic concern by spreading the initiative across the country with the help of campaign partners to execute the same.

About Coca-Cola India

Coca-Cola in India refreshes millions of consumers throughout the country with an exciting range of beverages including Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Thums Up, Fanta, Limca, Sprite, Maaza, Minute Maid Pulpy Orange, Minute Maid Nimbu Fresh, Minute Maid Mixed Fruit, Minute Maid 100 % juice (Minute Maid Apple, Minute Maid Orange, Minute Maid Grape), Georgia, Georgia Gold, Kinley, Kinley Club Soda and Burn through a network of more than one and a half million outlets. The Coca-Cola India system has invested more than US$ 2 billion in its Indian operations and provides direct employment to more than 25,000 people. The Coca-Cola Company has always placed high value on good citizenship. Coca-Cola India provides extensive support for community programs across the country, with a focus on education, health and water conservation. For further information on Company’s India operations and its products and initiatives, please visit www.coca-colaindia.com