NBA is Not Only About basketball, NBA Cares Too!
NBA is showing to the world that it cares as NBA Cares is set to collaborate with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital on a special event called ‘Hoops for St. Jude Week’ on March 20-27. The event was initiated to raise awareness on child cancer and support the hospital’s lifesaving mission.
Customarily, NBA stars, coaches, broadcasters and basketball fanatics each year join St. Jude in an advocacy to shed light on combating, treating, and understanding child cancer at a global level.
The event will bring light also to the successes and works of St. Jude through online, social media and in-game promotions.
In addition, the event will become a venue to host local patients in the arena. It is expected that NBA coaches will wear St. Jude lapel pins during games to show unity and advocacy to save lives throughout the week.
NBA ambassadors will take the opportunity to encourage and inspire fans to join with one voice in the mission to save the lives of children battling cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
These are the 2016 Hoops for St. Jude Week Ambassadors:
- David Lee, Dallas Mavericks
- Greg Monroe, Milwaukee Bucks
- Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers
- Mike Conley, Memphis Grizzlies
- Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies
- Pau Gasol, Chicago Bulls
St. Jude ‘Appreciative’ of the Relentless Support of NBA
St. Jude Hospital is grateful and appreciative for the support of NBA. Richard Shadyac Jr., President and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital today said the St. Jude family is deeply appreciative of the continued support of the NBA Family, fans and ambassadors year-round.
“Hoops for St. Jude Week provides a national platform to celebrate their efforts and further highlight how we are truly making a difference in the lives of kids everywhere.” – Mr. Shadyac
NBA Cares
NBA is not only about basketball. In fact, NBA Cares shows support on St. Jude Hospital mission through all-year round player and team visits to bring hope and brighten the day of cancer patients.
Just in the 2016 season, the hospital has hosted on-site visits by players, coaches, broadcasters, owners and staff from the Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks, Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Wizards.
It surely did lighten the burdens of families with cancer patients because campaigns like Hoops for St. Jude Week will help families have no bills to pay for treatment, travel, housing or food in the hospital. Thus, families will only think about how to make their child alive and not worry about financial matters.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital leads the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. NBA Cares is the league’s global social responsibility program that builds on the NBA’s mission of addressing important social issues.
NBA Cares is the National Basketball League’s global social responsibility program that builds on the NBA’s mission of addressing important social issues.
By 2016, NBA Cares programs and participants provided more than 3.7 million hours of hands-on service and created more than 1,040 places where kids and families can live, learn or play in communities around the world. The NBA engages more than 12 million youth annually, inspiring play and teaching the values of the game.
“NBA Cares works with internationally recognized youth-serving programs that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes, including: Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Special Olympics, YMCA of the USA, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, UNICEF, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Share Our Strength and GLSEN.”