COMIC RELIEF CREATES CHANGE THROUGH COMEDY WITH PICKLEBALL TO RAISE FUNDS FOR HOMELESSNESS IN NOVEMBER

PICKLED hosted by Stephen Colbert, and Comic Relief's Paddles for Purpose Will Unite Celebrities, Pickleball Leagues and Communities to Support Children and Families Experiencing Homelessness

NEW YORK, Nov. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Comic Relief US is going all in this month on Pickleball with a purpose, with two big events to raise funds to support the millions of children and families experiencing homelessness. PICKLED, the celebrity pickleball tournament, produced by Stephen Colbert's Spartina, Funny Or Die and CBS Studios, will air Thursday, Nov. 17 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+*. Emmy Award-winner Stephen Colbert of THE LATE SHOW hosts this cutthroat pickleball competition. To further engage Pickleball players and leagues nationwide, we have activated online with Paddles for Purpose, Comic Relief US' peer-to-peer national funding raising campaign.

"Pickleball, like Comic Relief US, is about community and fun," said Alison Moore, CEO of Comic Relief US. "We're activating in two ways – fundraising in communities across the country and through PICKLED on CBS and Paramount+ with Spartina and Funny or Die, to leverage the growing power of Pickleball to help raise money for children and families experiencing the life-altering impacts of homelessness and lack of safety. This is Pickleball with a purpose, open to all."

In anticipation of PICKLED, Comic Relief launched the first-ever Paddles for Purpose, a nationwide peer-to-peer fundraising event where anyone can dedicate their pickleball game towards raising funds for children and families facing homelessness in a donate to play format. Paddles for Purpose will culminate in Paddles for Purpose LIVE which will take place at the Griffin Club in Los Angeles on Nov. 12 from 1-5 PM PT. The live event is co-created with The Kitchen, the largest online pickleball community in the world, and FIG, an independent creative agency helping to shape the event, and hosted by Matt “Pickleball McNasty” Manasse. 

Games can also be played anywhere, anytime through Nov. 22, with funds supporting Comic Relief safety programs for children and families. Players can register a fundraiser online comicrelief.org/p4p

On Thursday, Nov. 17 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT), Stephen Colbert, Spartina, Funny or Die and CBS are joining forces with Comic Relief to re-ignite the magic of creating change through comedy with PICKLED. Sixteen celebrities will compete in this two-hour sports comedy special to raise funds that support Comic Relief's safety programs, which address the life-altering impact of homelessness and lack of safety often experienced by children and families living in poverty.

These new events will join Comic Relief US' signature fundraising campaigns including Red Nose Day which have raised a total of $380M by uniting brands, celebrities and communities nationwide committed to ensuring children in-need are safe, healthy, educated and empowered. Paddles for Purpose and PICKLED will motivate legions of pickleball players to get in the game to help children and families experiencing homelessness, and begin the holiday season with two uplifting, energizing events for good. 

"Comic Relief US uses entertainment to drive positive change," said Moore. "We are bringing back the heart of the Comic Relief events of the 80s and 90s which is to create change through comedy. Now, we're carrying that spirit forward and onto the pickleball court this month, from Stephen Colbert's PICKLED tournament to playing on your local court with friends and family. Everyone can give back — and have fun doing it."

About Comic Relief US

Comic Relief US harnesses the power of entertainment to drive positive change to create a just world free from poverty. The nonprofit has raised over $380 million by mobilizing donors of all ages to engage with causes through powerful content-driven campaigns and new digital platforms. Since 2015, Red Nose Day, Comic Relief US' signature campaign to end child poverty has fundraised $324 million and positively impacted over 30 million children in the US and around the world. Donations are invested in grantee partners and social impact programs that ensure children are safe, healthy, educated and empowered and that address the root causes of poverty in communities most impacted. 

Comic Relief US, also known as Comic Relief, Inc., is a registered U.S. 501(c)(3) public charity. For more information about Comic Relief US and its impact, visit www.comicrelief.org. Follow @ComicReliefUS on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Comic Relief US Press Contacts

Please contact Blayne Jeffries, Comic Relief US ([email protected]; cell + 1 917-439-3979) or Alexander Bryden, Porter Novelli ([email protected]; cell +1 908-400-7056) for more information or interview requests.

SOURCE Comic Relief US