PayItForward LIVE is a weekly livestream that benefits local communities by sharing ways to support small businesses.
Verizon PayItForward LIVE connects big names to small businesses, offering streaming entertainment to those at home and financial support to those small businesses in need. Every Tuesday and Thursday, tune-in to Verizon PayitForwardLIVE on Verizon’s Twitter, Yahoo or Twitch pages to view that night’s performance. To support small businesses, use the hashtag #PayitForwardLIVE – and for each mention, Verizon will donate additional money to LISC.org to support small businesses, up to $2.5 million.
04/21 Update: Verizon’s Pay It Forward Live continues with Lilly Singh and gamers from DIG Fe on Tuesday, April 21
Verizon’s Pay It Forward Live, the weekly streaming entertainment series in support of small businesses affected by COVID-19, continues on Tuesday when professional esports athlete Emmalee “EMUHLEET” Garrido and other members of Dignitas’s all-female gaming team DIG Fe will stream Riot Games’ VALORANT with Lilly Singh. The action will start at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT and stream live on Twitter @Verizon, EMUHLEET’s Twitch, Yahoo, Verizon’s Facebook page, Fios Channel 501, YouTube, and XBOX. The event will be available on Verizon’s platforms for one week following the live stream.
In addition to streaming VALORANT, the duo will share some of their favorite local businesses, engage with viewers, and create small-business-themed in-game experiences. Viewers are encouraged to pledge their support for small businesses by shopping online, buying a gift card or ordering a meal. In addition, Verizon will donate $10, up to $2.5 million, to support small businesses when the hashtag #PayItForwardLIVE is used.
“I’m teaming up with Verizon as part of their Pay It Forward Live series where they are supporting small businesses,” says Lilly Singh. “The good news is that my role is watching and cheering on EMUHLEET, rather than completely embarrassing myself in front of the Internet trying to play VALORANT. Even better news? Racking up some wins for small business owners, who need all of our support right now.”
“Supporting local communities has always been at the heart of my dual career paths – gaming and nursing,” said EMUHLEET. “From spearheading gaming tournaments that support amateur players and inspire female gamers to working as a mental health nurse, taking care of our communities is my lifelong passion. It’s my honor to continue driving support for local business when this world needs it the most and appreciate being able to do so in collaboration with Verizon’s Pay it Forward Live.”
Lilly Singh is a multi-faceted entertainer, actress, producer, writer and creator. She is the host of “A Little Late with Lilly Singh,” her NBC late-night talk show that premiered on September 16, making her the only woman to currently host a late-night talk show on a Big 4 network. She is also an executive producer as part of her company, Unicorn Island Productions.
A leading force in the digital world, she has amassed a global audience of millions across her social media channels, where she writes, produces and stars in comedic and inspirational videos. She was named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Hollywood & Entertainment list, Fast Company’s Most Creative People and TIME named her one of the most influential people on the internet.
In 2017, UNICEF appointed Lilly as one of their Goodwill Ambassadors. As a prominent voice and activist for women’s rights and girls’ access to education, Singh created her #GirlLove initiative to inspire positivity among women in order to better support each other’s voices and encourage upward mobility.
Emmalee “EMUHLEET” Garrido is the founder and in-game leader for one of the world’s most successful female esports team – Dignitas. Founded as Team Karma in 2014, the group later became professional gamers when they signed with Selfless Gaming before being recruited to Dignitas, one of the world’s most storied esports brands, owned by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment. EMUHLEET’s team has achieved numerous top three placings and several gold medals including back-to-back women’s World Championships at the prestigious Intel Challenge at IEM Katowice 2018 and 2019. Dignitas also secured back-to-back championships at the Girl Gamer Festival in 2017 and 2018. EMUHLEET is a partnered Twitch streamer, a full-time nurse focusing on mental health, and a frequent panelist at various industry conferences while actively participating in charitable events. EMUHLEET aspires to one day combine her love for gaming with her desire to care for and rehabilitate people.
04/15 Update: Luke Bryan to perform on Verizon’s Pay It Forward Live on Thursday, April 16
Luke Bryan will perform on Pay It Forward Live, Verizon’s weekly streaming entertainment series in support of small businesses affected by COVID-19, on Thursday, April 16. Viewers can watch the performance live at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT on Twitter @Verizon, Yahoo, Verizon’s Facebook and YouTube pages, Fios Channel 501, AXS TV, FOX NOW or listen on iHeart and SiriusXM. The event will be available on Verizon’s platforms for one week following the live stream.
Over the course of Pay It Forward Live, viewers are encouraged to do what they can to support local businesses in their own communities by shopping online, buying a gift card to be used when businesses reopen or ordering a meal. Verizon will also donate $10, up to $2.5 million, to support small businesses when the hashtag #PayitForwardLIVE is used.
“When I heard about the Pay It Forward program Verizon was doing to support local small businesses I loved the idea of doing my part to help raise awareness for it, said Luke Bryan. “These are the people who wake up every day living out their dreams and passions and bringing them into our communities. Let’s all continue to do right, support each other and…Pay It Forward.”
Pay It Forward Live launched on March 26 with an intimate, at-home performance with Dave Matthews. Previous performers and partners also include Alicia Keys, Ryan Tedder, FaZe Clan’s Nate Hill and Cizzorz, Marshmello, Pokimane, Hunter Pence and Damonte. Additional partners will be announced soon.
More information can be found at Verizon.com/PayItForwardLive.
About Luke Bryan
Luke was named as the first-ever recipient of the ACM Album of the Decade Award last year for CRASH MY PARTY and wrapped the last ten years as the Most Heard Artist of the Decade by Country Aircheck. Since his debut in 2009, Luke has released 24 #1 hits and has more RIAA certified digital singles than any other country artist with 54 million. Luke has also tallied up seven Billion streams, 12 million albums sold, plus four Platinum albums, two 4x-Platinum albums, seven RIAA certified albums, 22 Platinum singles and 12 Multi-Platinum singles.
Luke’s headline concert tours have played for over one million fans every year for the last six years with four of those reaching 1.5 million. In total Luke has performed for nearly 12 million fans in the last ten years with seven headline tours including 36 stadium concerts, 11 Farm Tours, six years of Spring Break shows and six sold-out Crash My Playa concert events. He was recognized as a CMT Artist of the Year six consecutive times, was twice named the Entertainer of the Year by BOTH the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association and was honored as a NSAI Artist/Songwriter of the Year. In total Luke has won over 40 music awards including six ACM awards, six CMT Music Awards, five Billboard Music Awards, four American Music Awards, two CMA awards, an iHeart and a Teen Choice award and more.
On July 10 Luke will launch his PROUD TO BE RIGHT HERE Tour and he’ll release his seventh studio album, BORN HERE LIVE HERE DIE HERE on August 7.
04/13 Update: Professional baseball player Hunter Pence and Dignitas esports athlete Damonte team up on Verizon’s Pay It Forward Live in support of small businesses
Verizon’s Pay It Forward Live, the weekly streaming entertainment series in support of small businesses affected by COVID-19, continues on Tuesday, April 14 when professional baseball player Hunter Pence and esports organization Dignitas’ Tanner Damonte team up to play League of Legends at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT on Twitter @Verizon, Damonte’s Twitch, Yahoo, Verizon’s Facebook page, and Fios Channel 501. The event will be available on Verizon’s platforms for one week following the live stream.
The duo will not only play, but also surprise some of their favorite local businesses, engage with viewers, and create small-business-themed in-game experiences – all while encouraging viewers to do what they can to support local businesses in their own communities by shopping online, making a purchase in advance of businesses reopening or ordering a meal. Verizon will also donate $10, up to $2.5 million, to support small businesses when the hashtag #PayItForwardLIVE is used.
“I am thankful and honored for the opportunity to partner with Verizon for their Pay It Forward initiative,” says Hunter Pence. “This is a great movement to help support small businesses in a time of need. Working together means a lot to me and it’s important to come together to make a positive impact on our community and relationships during this crisis.”
“After growing up in the Bay Area all my life, I am so excited to play League of Legends with the Bay Area’s very own Hunter Pence,” says Dignitas’s Damonte. “I look forward to teaching him how I train and compete as a professional esports athlete and I’m proud to use this as an opportunity to pay it forward in support of small businesses.”
Hunter Pence is a two-time World Series Champion and four-time All-Star outfielder on the San Francisco Giants. Hunter is known on the field for his positivity and exemplary leadership, as well as his unconventional mechanics and full-throttle energy. Off the field, he’s recognized for his love of gaming and quality coffee. He combined his passions to start his own small business, Coral Sword, a gaming cafe that he and his wife opened in his hometown of Houston, TX.
Tanner “Damonte” Damonte is a professional League of Legends player for Dignitas. Damonte is one of the game’s most successful North American players in his role as Mid Laner. In 2019, Damonte became part of Dignitas when the esports organization partnered with Clutch Gaming in Dignitas’ highly anticipated return to the LCS, the most watched esports league in the world and third most watched sports league for millennials in North America. Damonte’s charismatic personality and popular “Tanner Time” catch phrase earned him global fame. In 2019, Damonte led his team Clutch Gaming to the League of Legends World Championships, an elite event with millions of viewers featuring the World’s sixteen best teams.
4/9 Update: Alicia Keys to perform on Verizon’s Pay It Forward Live on Thursday, April 9
Fifteen-time Grammy winner and global music icon Alicia Keys will perform on Pay It Forward Live, Verizon’s weekly streaming entertainment series in support of small businesses affected by COVID-19, on Thursday, April 9. The performance will stream live at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Twitter @Verizon, Yahoo and Fios Channel 501. The event will also be available on these platforms for one week following the live stream.
Over the course of Pay It Forward Live, viewers are encouraged to do what they can to support local businesses in their own communities by shopping online, buying a gift card to be used when businesses reopen or ordering a meal. Verizon will also donate $10, up to $2.5 million, to support small businesses when the hashtag #PayitForwardLIVE is used.
Verizon is also giving consumers as many ways to support small businesses as possible, including partnering with PayPal and Square to give Pay It Forward Live viewers the ability to support small businesses within the live streams.
Pay It Forward Live launched on March 26 with an intimate, at-home performance with Dave Matthews. Previous performers and partners also include FaZe Clan’s Nate Hill, Cizzorz, Pokimane, Marshmello and Ryan Tedder from OneRepublic. Additional artists and partners will be announced soon.
More information can be found at Verizon.com/PayItForwardLive.
4/6 Update: Pokimane and FaZe Clan’s Cizzorz face off on Verizon’s Pay It Forward Live in support of small businesses
Verizon continues Pay It Forward Live, the weekly streaming entertainment series in support of small businesses affected by COVID-19, with its second gaming event on Tuesday, April 7. Pokimane and FaZe Clan powerhouse Cizzorz will go head to head in Fortnite at 8:00 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Twitch, Twitter @Verizon, Yahoo and Fios Channel 501. The event will be available on these platforms for one week following the live stream.
“I am honored to be included in the second #PayItForwardLIVE gaming event with Verizon,” said FaZe Clan’s Cizzorz. “Small businesses are such an important part of my life and they are struggling right now due to the COVID crisis. I want to bring the FaZe Clan community and my voice to support this important initiative.”
“I am proud to be a part of #PayItForwardLIVE with Verizon in support of their important initiative to help small businesses,” said Pokimane. “I’m so fortunate to still be able to do my job but others aren’t as lucky and I hope that our efforts can help some of those in need through this crisis.”
The duo will not only play, but also surprise some of their favorite local businesses, engage with viewers, and create small-business-themed in-game experiences – all while encouraging viewers to do what they can to support local businesses in their own communities by shopping online, making a purchase in advance for when businesses reopen or ordering a meal. Verizon will also donate $10, up to $2.5 million, to support small businesses when the hashtag #PayItForwardLIVE is used.
4/2 Update: Ryan Tedder from OneRepublic to perform on Verizon’s Pay It Forward Live Tonight
Ryan Tedder, GrammyⓇ winning songwriter, producer and lead singer of the multi-platinum selling band OneRepublic, will perform on Pay It Forward Live, Verizon’s weekly streaming entertainment series in support of small businesses affected by COVID-19, on Thursday, April 2. The performance, which will take place in his home, will stream live at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Twitter @Verizon, Yahoo and Fios Channel 501.
“As we’re all feeling right now, small businesses are a huge part of our daily lives,” said Ryan Tedder. “I’m grateful that I am able to take part in an initiative to help lessen the impact of this crisis.”
Over the course of Pay It Forward Live, viewers are encouraged to tag their favorite local businesses and do what they can to support them – shop online, make a purchase in advance for when the crisis is over and the businesses reopen, or order a meal. Verizon will also donate $10 to support small businesses, up to $2.5 million, when the hashtag #PayItForwardLive is used.
Verizon is also giving consumers as many ways to support small businesses as possible, including partnering with PayPal and Square to give Pay It Forward Live viewers the ability to support small businesses within the live streams.
Helping Small Businesses and the Frontlines
Expanding its commitment to small businesses, this week Verizon Business will pay it forward to a number of small businesses preparing daily meals to feed healthcare workers. This program brings together multiple New York City restaurants with six area hospitals in an effort to help both the restaurants’ workers and hospital staff on the front line providing care to patients. Meals are being provided seven days a week throughout the month of April, at no cost to the hospitals or their employees. The ordering and delivery process is managed by Grubhub which donated its service to help this cause.
“Healthcare workers are physically and emotionally putting themselves on the front line of the fight against COVID-19,” said Tami Erwin, CEO of Verizon Business Group. “And for small businesses – especially restaurants – the impact of social distancing is real. This is an opportunity to bring these groups together, providing a purpose and resources to continue supporting restaurants, and a small gesture of thanks and comfort for hospital and emergency workers in New York City.”
Participating restaurants include: Blue Restaurant, Bella Notte, Dino, Dosa Royale, Locksmith Bar and Mimi Cheng’s. Medical centers receiving food include: Maimonides Medical Center and Hospital for Special Surgery.
Verizon is planning to scale these efforts, with continued support from Grubhub, to help as many as possible in our backyard and beyond. Verizon is urging companies in other cities to support similar efforts to fund local restaurants’ efforts to feed healthcare workers.
To date, Verizon is supporting communities through a combined $20 million donation to nonprofits directed at serving students, healthcare first responders, and small businesses. To find out more about what Verizon is doing to help customers and small businesses, visit verizon.com/about/news/our-response-coronavirus.
3/31 Update: Verizon teams up with Faze Clan to expand Pay It Forward Live into gaming
Verizon will expand Pay It Forward Live, the weekly streaming entertainment series that includes music, gaming, comedy and more in support of small businesses affected by COVID-19, with its first gaming event on Tuesday, March 31. Marshmello and FaZe Clan’s Nate Hill will go head to head in a game of Fortnite during the 45-minute event which will stream live at 8:00 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST on Twitch, Twitter @verizon, Yahoo Entertainment and on Fios Channel 501.
The duo will not only play, but also surprise some of their favorite local businesses, engage with viewers, and create small-business-themed in-game experiences – all while encouraging viewers to support local businesses in their own communities and to use the hashtag #PayitForwardLIVE to unlock funds from Verizon to support small businesses on both Twitch and Twitter.
“So many of us have been affected by the COVID-19 virus, and now more than ever we need to stand together and help each other. I’m proud to be teaming up with Verizon & Nate Hill to help small businesses,” said Marshmello. “As a musician a lot of my business is supported by the men and women in local communities and their businesses who help bring shows and festivals to life and who are now out of work for an unknown amount of time. Let’s Pay It Forward and help them now!”
“The COVID-19 virus has taken a toll on many of us, small businesses especially,” says FaZe Clan’s Nate Hill. “I am proud FaZe Clan is teaming up with Verizon to help small businesses in need. As a gamer, I rely on these companies like local restaurants for food every day. I am honored to take part in the Pay It Forward initiative alongside Marshmello and help those in need.”
3/26 Update: Pay It Forward Live launches with Dave Matthews
Pay It Forward Live launched on March 26 with an intimate, at home performance with Dave Matthews. Additional performers and partners will be announced soon. More information can be found at Verizon.com/PayItForwardLive.
Verizon has donated $2.5 million to Local Initiatives Support Corporation’s (LISC) small business COVID-19 relief efforts. Throughout the Pay It Forward Live series, up to an additional $2.5 million will be unlocked, $10 for each use of the hashtag #PayItForwardLive, as viewers pledge support for their favorite small businesses, bringing the potential donation to a total of $5 million. LISC will use the funds to provide grants of up to $10,000 to businesses facing immediate financial pressure because of COVID-19, especially entrepreneurs of color, women-owned businesses and other enterprises that don’t have access to flexible, affordable capital in historically underserved communities. All information, along with a link to apply for grants, can be found here.
Verizon is also giving its own customers an easy way to support small businesses by leveraging their customer loyalty program, Verizon Up, which will give members the ability to use their monthly reward for a Visa eGift card to use to support small businesses throughout the month of April.
The funds from Pay it Forward Live are in addition to Verizon’s combined $14 million donation to nonprofits directed at supporting students and healthcare first responders, including No Kid Hungry, the American Red Cross, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP) COVID-19 Response Fund, Direct Relief, and the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund in support of the World Health Organization (WHO)’s global response.
Verizon’s support for small business also includes adding 15GB of high speed data for wireless consumer and small business customers to be automatically applied with no customer action necessary; providing first responders with priority and preemption abilities for voice and data and no data caps for consumer and small business Fios and DSL broadband internet plans.
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