#GiveThem20 Campaign has Americans Flexing their Muscles for Veterans

Marcin Szudek
Military.com
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female in push up plank position

Non-profit creates a push-up challenge to engage Americans in supporting transitioning veterans.

Why are Jon Stewart, Jimmy Kimmel, The Washington Nationals, and the U.S. Secretary of Commerce dropping to do 20 push-ups on camera? They are some of the first to take part in a new social media campaign aimed at thanking and supporting transitioning veterans. Celebrities, athletes, business leaders, and Americans across the country have taken to social media to participate in the #GiveThem20 challenge, which aims to strengthen the bond between our society and veterans who are returning to the civilian workforce.

Created by American Corporate Partners (ACP), the #GiveThem20 campaign asks participants to share a video of themselves dedicating 20 push-ups, jumping-jacks, or any other exercise to American veterans. Using the hashtag #givethem20, they challenge a few friends on social media to do the same. Participants are then encouraged to go even further by mentoring, hiring, or donating to veterans to assist them in their career transition out of the military. All public videos can be viewed at givethem20.org.

The campaign kicked off Memorial Day weekend, when Jon Stewart, the New York Mets, and Johnson & Johnson CEO Alex Gorsky all took part. Stewart's video featured a group of veterans participating in The Daily Show's Immersion Program cheering him on.

The challenge is quickly spreading across the nation – Americans are sharing videos of their exercises at home, in parks, and on the beach. Employees of the Florida Aquarium took the challenge a step further (or deeper), filming their video underwater.

Sharing the videos is only part of the effort.  ACP encourages participants to give more by mentoring or hiring veterans through ACP's career advice site for veterans, ACP-AdvisorNet.org, or donating to the cause through givethem20.org.

ACP's AdvisorNet is an online community dedicated to providing veterans with a network of support for their career transition. Americans in any industry can volunteer 20 minutes of their time each week to provide answers to veterans' career questions, review résumés, build informal mentoring relationships, or post jobs for free.

ACP's Founder, Sid Goodfriend, states, "Many Americans want to help our returning military, but don't know how. ACP AdvisorNet offers a unique way for the American people to give their time and experience to help veterans find new careers."

How to Get Involved:

  • Share a video of your 20 push-ups or any other exercise (get creative!) using #givethem20.
  • Challenge your friends to show their support and spread the word.
  • Sign up to provide online career advice on www.acp-advisornet.org.

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