Joel McHale Set to Host AMERICAN GIVING AWARDS , 12/8

By: Nov. 09, 2012
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Joel McHale (NBC's COMMUNITY, THE SOUP) will host the second-annual AMERICAN GIVING AWARDS (AGAs) presented by Chase on Saturday, December 8 (8-10 p.m. ET) on NBC from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, Calif.

Produced by Dick Clark Productions and Intersport, the AGAs were introduced in 2011 as a celebrity tribute to recognize community heroes. This year, $2 million in Chase grants will be shared among five featured charitable organizations, which will be chosen from a group of 25 previous Chase Community Giving grant recipients.

"I am honored to be chosen to host the second annual American Giving Awards," said McHale. "The impact that an award like this plus two million dollars can make on any of these amazing organizations is huge. I just hope they don't distribute the money in the form of coins because that would be really inconvenient and heavy."

"We are excited to have Joel McHale on board to host the second-annual AMERICAN GIVING AWARDS," said Kimberly Davis, President of the JPMorgan Chase Foundation. "Joel's commitment to charity and extraordinary talent will help build on last year's incredible show and give all of the participating charities an unforgettable experience."

Actor, writer, producer and comedian McHale stars as Jeff Winger, a fast-talking lawyer whose degree has been revoked, in the NBC comedy series COMMUNITY. In addition, McHale satirizes pop culture and current events each week on E!'s THE SOUP. McHale's quick wit and sharp comedic timing have made "The Soup" a pop-culture phenomenon. He also performs his standup act around the country to sold-out audiences. McHale recently starred in Seth MacFarlane's TED, opposite Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis and MacFarlane. He also appeared in the films: WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER? opposite Anna Faris, THE BIG YEAR with Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson, and a SPY KIDS reboot with Robert Rodriguez. Previously, McHale starred opposite Matt Damon in Steven Soderbergh's comedic thriller THE INFORMANT. He also hosted the 2011 Independent Spirit Awards.

The 25 participating charities will represent one of five categories recognizing the "building blocks" of the communities:

· Educators & Mentors: For empowering our communities through education

· Heroes & Leaders: For outstanding community contributions to human rights and social services

· Champions of Health & Wellness: For improving health and well-being in our communities

· Community Builders: For excellence in serving our communities

· Youth Developers: For inspiring and nurturing our youth that will help build stronger communities.

From November 27 through December 4, Facebook users and Chase online customers will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite of the 25 participating charities. The organization with the most votes will receive a $1 million grant, the runner-up will be granted $500,000, a third organization will receive a $250,000 grant, and two will be given $125,000 grants.

Voting for the AMERICAN GIVING AWARDS will take place on Facebook and Chase.com. For more information on how to vote, please visit www.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving. Get updates and join the conversation on Twitter by following @ChaseGiving and using #GivingAwards.

For more information on the AMERICAN GIVING AWARDS Presented by Chase, visit NBC.com's "Movies & Specials" site: http://www.nbc.com/specials. Please follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/NBC and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/NBC.



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