Thousands of WME-IMG Staffers (and Charlize Theron) Take Part in Service Day

Walk the Walk — WME-IMG’s annual service day — saw 6,000 staffers across both companies and sister companies including the Wall Group, UFC, Frieze and Professional Bull Riders, among others, turn out for a celebratory day of service on Thursday as the initiative turned the page on 10 years. 

Capping off a weeklong program of events, Thursday’s showing saw agency topper Ari Emanuel head out to Habitat for Humanity while his co-CEO Patrick Whitesell hit up Whaley Middle School, WME-IMGs adopted school in Compton, Calif. Emanuel had a busy week with Walk the Walk. He interviewed client Charlize Theron about her work with the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project. Other highlights included an ACLU panel moderated by WME partner Ari Greenburg and featuring colleagues Nancy Josephson, Brian DePersia, Sybil Grieb and Amos Newman about how to integrate work and philanthropy. 

This year’s effort marked a significant increase from the program’s humble beginnings. Close to 500 employees participated in the inaugural event in 2007, working on behalf of a handful of charities. This year, that 6,000 number of workers served the needs of more than 200 charities and organizations in more than 140 communities with executives from all over the world — Paris, China, Australia, and more — showing up to serve. WME-IMG partnered with UNICEF this year to lead co-creation and distribution of content to elevate its causes and identify partnership opportunities.

More information about the event, including pictures from this year’s service outings, can be found here.