Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games

FRIDAY, 5 FEBRUARY 2010
Submitted By: Mariangela Silvestre

Samsung Electronics America, Inc. and reigning women�s halfpipe Olympic gold medalist Hannah Teter today announced the 10 Samsung Mobile Explorers representing the USA at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. They will be on site to blog, vlog and tweet about their experiences in Vancouver. The five teams of two will have firsthand access at the 2010 Winter Games and compete in challenges�visiting Vancouver sites, collecting fan stories and discovering the Olympic spirit. These experiences will be posted at www.facebook.com/samsungusa, where fans and viewers can vote for their favorites. The winning team will earn an incredible Samsung product and cash prize package and will be featured bloggers on Samsung.com.

�We are thrilled to bring an incredible team of 10 Americans to the 2010 Olympic Games,� said David Steel, senior vice president of Strategic Marketing for Samsung Electronics America, Inc. �Samsung�s USA Mobile Explorers represent both the East and West coasts; hail from New York, Seattle, Los Angeles and beyond; and work as professional video producers, world travelers and more. The program is a unique Olympic moment for us all, allowing our Mobile Explorers to share experiences with people across the United States to demonstrate Samsung's commitment to supporting the Olympic Movement.�

Samsung�s USA Mobile Explorer Roster includes:

* Team Cool Kids: Ethan and Lindsay, a pair of comedy lovers brought together in Los Angeles from rainy Seattle and the heart of the Midwest, Indianapolis. They have made their passion for laughing into work and are willing to do whatever it takes to win in Vancouver.
* Team David and Freddie!, two college buddies who first connected in film school in Los Angeles. Making movies, gaming and one-upping each other in social network followers keeps their friendship strong.
* Team Kinetic: Karl and Jeremiah, a pair of creative professionals from Sacramento, Calif. They are experiential by nature, hardwired for fun, omnivorous with media and ambidextrous with their noggins.
* Team NYC: DeStorm and Jessica, a New York City couple built to compete and to travel. Both were college athletes and performers, and one of them calls YouTube for a paycheck, thanks to the three million video views.
* Team S.K.A.R. Vlog: Amy and Samia, friends from Los Angeles who seek to be the source of entertainment, whether it is impersonating a celebrity, singing really bad karaoke songs or just goofing around. The team is part journalism, part improv comedy and ready for the adventure of Vancouver.

Snowboarder and Samsung Olympic Ambassador Hannah Teter will be on hand to share her experience with the Mobile Explorers and challenge them with her own Olympic-related tasks. Among them will be a head-to-head contest for the teams to raise awareness for her charity Hannah�s Gold, which uses the proceeds from sales to assist with curbing the effects of poverty in Africa. Samsung will make a dollar for dollar match of Hannah�s Gold 2010 sales in support of the charity.

�I am really excited to serve as the ambassador for Samsung�s Mobile Explorers program,� Teter said. �Not only do I get to be a part of bringing the 2010 Winter Games to so many people and experiment with some of the most current social networking technology, I also have the opportunity to raise awareness for Hannah�s Gold � a cause that is important to me.�

Hannah�s Gold is Teter�s charity initiative, benefitting communities in Africa struggling against the effects of poverty. Currently, funds are supporting a clean water and community-building project in Kirindon, Kenya.

The USA Mobile Explorers were selected after a month-long competition, during which consumers submitted video applications showcasing their creativity, personalities, social media and communication skills and excitement for the Winter Games.

U.S. Samsung Mobile Explorers will be joined in Vancouver by more than 40 other Mobile Explorers from Canada, Russia, China and South Korea.

Samsung Electronics has been a top sponsor in the wireless communications equipment category since 1998. At the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Samsung will utilize its wireless technology for seamless communication among Olympic VIPs, delegates and staff.

Source: www.businesswire.com