Vote for Samaritan’s Feet at www.ESPN.com/Infiniti 

John Calipari wants to raise $100,000 for Samaritan’s Feet, but he needs your help to do it.

From Jan. 18 to March 8, Infiniti is helping 48 of the nation’s top college basketball coaches compete to raise money for charities in the Infiniti Coaches’ Charity Challenge. Coaches will count on their network of fans, alumni, students, faculty and charities to advance to the finals. School supporters will have a chance to vote daily for their favorite coach in each of the four regions – East, South, West and Midwest.

Infiniti, a proud of corporate sponsor of NCAA Men’s Basketball, will donate $5,000 to each participating coach’s selected charity. The coach who receives the most votes will win $100,000, which will be awarded to his selected charity.

Coach Cal will be representing Samaritan’s Feet for the second straight year in the East Region. A year after finishing second to Florida head coach Billy Donovan, Coach Cal is hoping to mobilize the Big Blue Nation and earn $100,000 for Samaritan’s Feet and its mission to put 10 million pairs of shoes on the feet of 10 million orphans and impoverished children in the United States and around the world.

“I’m proud to once again represent Samaritan’s Feet in the Infiniti Coaches’ Charity Challenge,” Calipari said. “The challenge is a great way to bring awareness and add support for some outstanding community efforts going on around the country. The $100,000 donation will go to a great cause no matter who you vote for, but this year I want to encourage the Big Blue Nation to vote for Samaritan’s Feet as we try to put a pair of shoes on every child in this state, in this country and across the globe.”

Voting will take place at www.ESPN.com/Infiniti and last for eight weeks. For the first six weeks, four brackets of 12 coaches will be paired against each other, with the winners from each group moving onto the next round in week seven and the final round in week eight. Fans can vote for up to four coaches per day. The winning coach will be announced March 9.

The challenge has expanded from 14 National Association of Basketball Coaches last year to 48 this season. Other coaches participating in the challenge with their designated charities include Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim, Connecticut’s Jim Calhoun, West Virginia’s Bob Huggins, Duke’s Mike Krzyewski, North Carolina’s Roy Williams and Villanova’s Jay Wright.

“The overwhelming popularity of men’s college basketball provides an outstanding platform for coaches across America,” NABC President Ernie Kent said. “While most fans follow every aspect of their teams’ on-court performances, the Infiniti Coaches’ Charity Challenge enables people to see the numerous charitable and community endeavors championed by coaches off the court.”

The total Infiniti contribution will be more than $300,000.