By Lindsay Spivak
On October 10th, Dave Johnson, a U.S. Military veteran, put his body to the ultimate test to help post 9/11 veterans get back to work. He swam 2.4 miles, biked 112 miles and ran 26.2 miles in the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. He finished the race in 13:14:48, with a 1:07 split for the swim, 6:13 for the bike, and 5:33 for the run. Johnson is no stranger to the physical and mental challenges of an Ironman; this was his fourth competition, yet this one was different. This time around, it’s about more. This time, Dave raced to raise money and awareness for the Call of Duty Endowment, a nonprofit organization founded by Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick that helps train and place veterans in meaningful jobs.
As a former Navy Intelligence Officer, Johnson knows the value in veterans joining the civilian workforce. In fact, he was drawn to his current employer, Activision Blizzard, because of their serious commitment to hiring vets and practicing what they preach. Johnson also knows that young veterans face an unemployment rate that is nearly three times the national average. So, he’s dedicated his training and his race to helping his fellow veterans.
“The energy in Kona is incredible,” says Johnson, “It feels like the entire island is out supporting your race. Competing in an Ironman is always a tremendous experience, but this year was one of my most emotional finishes. There were so many people who supported my training, and it was even more meaningful to know their donations will help the Call of Duty Endowment get veterans back to work.”
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About the Call of Duty Endowment
After years of good faith efforts, the unemployment rate for post-9/11 veterans remains too high. To solve the problem, vets have to be well-prepared for the job market and employers must be receptive to hiring them. But vets are faced with employers who don’t understand their qualifications—and hiring managers who harbor false stereotypes. Worsening matters, vets struggle to explain how their skills, training, and experience apply to civilian jobs. The result is an unemployment rate for young post-9/11 veterans that exceeds that of their non-veteran peers.
The Call of Duty Endowment envisions the most effective and efficient network of non-profits focused on placing veterans into high quality careers. Their goal is to identify and fund the best-in-class organizations to place 25,000 veterans in jobs by the end of 2018.
Using a venture philanthropy approach, the Call of Duty Endowment’s atrategy is to fund the best organizations they can find—with strings attached. Recipients must demonstrate effective and cost-efficient veteran job placement. When they do, the endowment encourages their growth and operations with additional funding, advice and support. The Call of Duty Endowment is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public benefit corporation supported by Activision Blizzard.
