Brazilian soccer superstar Kaká and Olympic gold medalist Apolo Ohno are among eight famous athletes teaming up with the Foundation for Puerto Rico, the VIKTRE platform, and BLOCKv to help restore power to Puerto Rico.
“The VIKTRE Challenge — Power for Puerto Rico” crowdfunding campaign pits athletes in a friendly competition to raise money to help the island with its electrical power struggles. Fans have the opportunity to interact, donate and potentially meet their favorite athlete as part of the campaign. BLOCKv developed the vAtoms that make the distribution of the contest viral via sharing — the more a contributor shares, the more chances they have to win the contest.
“People in Puerto Rico have been living without power for months with no fresh water, hospitals or schools,” explains former Packer and Jaguar NFL great Don Davey, one of the athletes participating. “For them, this isn’t a minor inconvenience, it is literally a matter of life and death. It was amazing to see firsthand how quickly, cleanly, and cheaply solar energy is able to restore power to pockets of the island. The VIKTRE Challenge is all about allowing these people to resume their normal lives.”
The campaign’s aim is to rebuild the energy infrastructure of Puerto Rico in partnership with the Foundation for Puerto Rico and solar energy providers like Tesla. The intended result is the installation of several microgrids creating sustainable, storm resistant power at scale for Puerto Rico.
The other athletes included are current MLS and former Spanish footballer player David Villa, Puerto Rican Hall of Fame tennis player Gigi Fernández, Former Championship and German Team Rider, Ronny Riemer, Star surfer and Corona Pro Champ Quincy Davis, WWE Superstar Sheamus, and Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame NFL great Nick Lowery.
Famed speed skater Apolo Ohno is also participating.
BLOCKv provides a viral method to increase awareness of the campaign through a contest using a reward vAtom. Donors are rewarded with an honor badge vAtom for their contributions to help rebuild the island of Puerto Rico. This vAtom not only serves as a digital collectible and symbol of commitment but also an entry to win a chance to meet the athletes in person. Users are entered into a contest and credited with additional entries for sharing the vAtom with their network. The more people share, the better chance they have of winning a prize, and the more funds raised for the campaign.
The multipage vAtom has information about the situation in Puerto Rico, the campaign and the contest, provides the opportunity to select the athlete that they would like to have a video or potentially an in person meeting with if they are the winner of the competition.
“It is great to be part of such a worthy cause, test the app at scale, and partner with such an influential brand,” explains CEO of BLOCKv Reeve Collins. “We look forward to joining with other charities and making it fun for people to give to those in need. If we can create more exciting games and contests for contributors, rather than just ask for a cash donation on a webpage, we can create a new and more effective way for philanthropies to raise funds. Plus, it gives people more in return for their generosity so it’s a win for everyone involved.”
