COURT TO COMMUNITY: SPURS GIVE & SPURS OUTREACH INITIATIVES

Post #121 » by **G R E Y** » Sun Apr 7, 2019 4:16 am

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Post #122 » by **G R E Y** » Wed Apr 17, 2019 11:54 pm

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Post #123 » by **G R E Y** » Sat May 4, 2019 4:09 am

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EDIT to add:

The Special Olympic Summer games took place over the weekend at Morgan’s Wonderland. You can find information on this weekend’s competition and how to get involved here.

https://www.poundingtherock.com/2019/5/6/18530725/san-antonio-spurs-derrick-white-and-matt-bonner-at-special-olympics-event-in-san-antonio

EDIT to add:

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Post #124 » by **G R E Y** » Tue May 7, 2019 3:07 am

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Post #125 » by **G R E Y** » Wed Jun 12, 2019 5:09 pm

Good guys doing good deeds for the SA community:

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Lonnie Walker, Spurs give back by refurbishing playground at SA Youth

Mario Barrera reached up as high as he could — his paint brush dripping purple paint onto the grass below — but the 9-year-old couldn’t quite reach the last unpainted spot on the wooden fence.

Then, out of nowhere, he got an extra boost from his new friend, Lonnie Walker IV. The Spurs guard lifted Barrera up and together they finished painting the fence at SA Youth.

Walker was joined Thursday by fellow Spurs Drew Eubanks, Chimezie Metu and Ben Moore, as well as children and volunteers from SA Youth and Spurs Sports & Entertainment to put the finishing touches on a refurbished playground and fence line at the nonprofit’s 1215 W. Poplar Street campus....

Of course, Barrera was grateful for the assist.

“It was super cool,” Barrera said. “He carried me to the highest part of the fence. I just feel blessed.”

Asia Ciarvino, president and CEO of SA Youth, said one out of every four children in San Antonio goes homes to an empty house, “so this is a safe space for them and to have the Spurs be a partner in this is like magic.

“To have the opportunity to have a Spur, someone they see like a movie star, come here and focus on them and pay attention to them, that means the world to the kids,” she said.

Last year, the Silver and Black Give Back, the Spurs’ public charity that empowers youth through service and sports, donated a new basketball court for the more than 1,500 children served by SA Youth through Operation Renovation. At the beginning of this summer, the organization once again reached out to the center and asked what it could do to help....

Quae Serrato-Moragne, 9, got to work alongside Spurs forward Chimezie Metu and asked him “tons” of questions.

“It is cool because I like Mezie,” Serrato-Moragne said. “He is a great basketball player and was in the playoffs. It was just nice to meet him and help paint the fence.”

https://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/article/Lonnie-Walker-Spurs-give-back-by-refurbishing-13908305.php

Post #126 » by **G R E Y** » Wed Jun 12, 2019 5:11 pm

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Post #127 » by **G R E Y** » Wed Jun 12, 2019 6:02 pm

It's such a joy watching Dejounte grow into a great young man on and off the court and spreading the love and positive influence:

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dejountemurray
To My Younger Brother Nate, I Love You And I’m So Thankful For You. 10 Months Ago When You Cried And Asked To Move With Me Because You Was Depressed And Scared For Your Life And The Fact That You Didn’t Have A Male Figure There 24/7 Teaching You Right From Wrong I Had No Choice To Take You In And Become Your Guardian. One Thing I Made Clear When You Came Was That I Ain’t Your Mother Or Father But I’m Going To Be The Best Big Brother And Teach You Right From Wrong And Help You Grow As A Young Man. I Am In Tears Writing This Because All You Ever Wanted Was A Opportunity To Be The Best Young Man You Can Be And Since The Day You Moved With Me You Been The Most Respectful Person I Ever Met, You Didn’t Miss One Day Of School, On Honor Roll With A GPA 3.8 And Little Bro I Just Want To Tell You This Is The Beginning For You And God Has A PLAN For You. I Hope You Enjoy Your New And First Car 2019 Dodge Challenger!!! I Love You Nate And I Will Be Here For You Forever Baby Brother!!!

n5murray
I have soooo many emotions right now!!! So many words to say!! MAMA I DID IT!!!!!! To my older brother I can’t thank you enough bro! All my life I wanted to be just like you I copied your mannerisms, your style, your everything nothing meant more to me than us having an unbreakable bond! I thank you so much for taking me in with you and helping raise me to be a strong, independent, wise and God loving Man. Aside from all the materialistic things you’ve taught me things that money can’t buy bro! I’m in a way better and happy place now and I promise you this isn’t the end this is the beginning of my journey and watch bro ima make you even more proud I LOVE YOU MORE THAN EVER BIG BROTHER

Post #128 » by **G R E Y** » Fri Jun 14, 2019 2:28 am

Spurs guard Derrick White surprises children at Morgan’s Wonderland

Spurs Guard Derrick White surprised 15 children with and without special needs at Morgan’s Wonderland on Thursday.

White joined the children and their families — including a family traveling from Utah sponsored by Project Angel Fares — as they create lasting memories at the theme park.

Morgan’s Wonderland is the world’s first ultra-accessible theme park designed with special-needs individuals in mind and built for everyone’s enjoyment in an atmosphere of inclusion.

Project Angel Fares provides all-expense-paid trips to Morgan’s Wonderland to children with special needs from across the country.

https://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/article/Spurs-guard-Derrick-White-surprises-children-at-13990314.php#photo-17675343

Photos: Tom Reel, Staff / Staff Photographer

About Project Angel Fares:

There are children with special needs all across the country and for them amusement parks may be something they never get to truly experience. Project Angel Fares serves to provide all travel expenses paid trips to Morgan’s Wonderland & Inspiration Island, the world’s first ultra-accessible theme park, where anyone can play! We give trips of a lifetime, and you can too. If you share the Project Angel Fares vision, then please consider making a gift today.

DONATIONS - Providing Special Friends with Special Dreams

About Morgan's Wonderland:

Call her a catalyst, a spark, an inspiration. Morgan Hartman doesn’t realize it, but her ability to smile through physical and cognitive challenges spurred her parents – Gordon and Maggie Hartman – to do things never before accomplished for individuals with special needs and their families. Morgan not only inspired the creation of a one-of-a-kind theme park but also a unique school and other initiatives benefitting the special-needs community.

When it celebrated its grand opening April 10, 2010, Morgan’s Wonderland became the world’s first theme park designed with special-needs individuals in mind and built for everyone’s enjoyment. The completely wheelchair-accessible park features more than 25 elements including rides, playgrounds and other colorful attractions. From the very beginning, anyone with a special need has been admitted free of charge, no questions asked.

It is Morgan’s fervent hope that everyone with a special need – young and older, healthy or ailing, introspective or outgoing – will be touched in a very special way by Morgan’s Wonderland: a shrine of inclusion, an oasis of friendship, an unforgettable wonderland…Morgan’s Wonderland!

https://www.morganswonderland.com/about-us/

Post #129 » by **G R E Y** » Wed Jun 19, 2019 12:39 am

More from Derrick's visit with kids at Morgan's Wonderland: "My therapist says that you have Teddy Bear eyes!" Kids are so honest it's cute and endearing!

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Post #130 » by **G R E Y** » Thu Jun 20, 2019 8:37 pm

Dejounte making the rounds in the off-season. Great to see him out and about and giving back:

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Post #131 » by **G R E Y** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 7:09 pm

Lots of good deeds to catch up on. Even though several of these have happened already, I think the attention to the causes and acknowledgement of those supporting them deserves credit.

First, some of our players have hosted basketball camps. Derrick's first one at home in Colorado was a success:

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Film session wow:

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Post #132 » by **G R E Y** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 7:17 pm

Bryn visited and helped at a Spurs Basketball Camp:

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More info about Spurs Sports Academy

Mission Statement

Spurs Sports Academy exists to develop young athletes while inspiring lifelong memories and building character through competition.

About

The Spurs Sports Academy offers the ultimate basketball camp experience for boys and girls ages 6-18 of ALL skill levels the opportunity of a lifetime to learn from the pros. All participants receive professional instruction on the fundamentals of the game while learning sportsmanship from experienced Spurs Sports Academy coaches. Since 2016, Spurs Tournament Series has provided the highest level of competition in premium facilities with an unmatched level of professionalism in the travel basketball landscape. Spurs Sports Academy continues to deliver these valuable lessons within a safe atmosphere that provides plenty of fun for campers, basketball teams, and their families.

https://www.spurssportsacademy.com/about

Post #133 » by **G R E Y** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 7:31 pm

Lonnie and Ben donned chef garb to help encourage healthy cooking and eating for kids and their families:

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Post #134 » by **G R E Y** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 7:59 pm

Jakob hosted a basketball camp in Vienna this summer:

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Had a great time at my first basketball camp in my hometown Vienna. Thank you so much to all the coaches at the camp and everyone who helped making it happen behind the scenes. Can’t wait for the next one!

Post #135 » by **G R E Y** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 8:33 pm

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About The Basketball Embassy:

For many, basketball serves as a life-enriching pursuit. It can provide athletic and character building opportunities, and is frequently a much needed escape from circumstances that provide significant hardship. The Basketball Embassy's programs and services aim to provide basketball players and coaches across nations, cultures, and backgrounds with a platform for success in the game of life.

https://www.thebasketballembassy.com/what-we-do

Really interesting program.

Post #136 » by **G R E Y** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 8:46 pm

Spurs family supporting two vital organizations that help families and youth:

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Frost Bank and Silver & Black Give Back (SBGB) celebrated the completion of one of two major facility renovation projects with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at AVANCE San Antonio at 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 18.

"In commemoration of the historic partnership between Frost and the San Antonio Spurs, the organizations joined forces to give $200,000 in total to a pair of local nonprofits to be used for facility updates – AVANCE San Antonio and Roy Maas Youth Alternatives. Renovations to the AVANCE facility include new flooring and updates to classrooms and other educational facilities."

In the corridor of the newly renovated facility, families who have been touched by this learning center gathered to celebrate the final phase of completion on the AVANCE Family Center. These renovations received just over $75,000 of the total that is being donated to renovate the two locations.

The center is part of a community outreach that supports families with classes on how to prepare for parenthood as well as growth and learning opportunities for parents of young children.

"Established in 1973, AVANCE is a national, nonprofit organization that meets hard to reach, low-income families where they are. We aim to liberate parents and their children from the cycle of poverty in a family-oriented, non-judgmental environment." -from their homepage AVANCE.org

The interior has been completely renovated and decorated with bright inviting colors. Frost Bank’s “A-Team”, The Spurs POSSE (People of Spurs Sports & Entertainment), and AVANCE staff have all contributed their time to updating the building which is owned by the San Antonio Housing Authority and serve as a partner in AVANCE’s mission.

Spurs legend and broadcast analyst Sean Elliott emceed the event, introducing each of the featured guests as well as a surprise appearance by The Coyote. Both graciously visited with each and every person who wanted to shake their hand and take a photo.

“This is the most amazing gift,” stated Susan Steves Thompson, executive director of AVANCE. “We serve about 200 families a year and we’ve been in this partnership with SAHA since 1998. In twenty years we’ve served over 4,000 families. Our goal is to ensure that children from birth to age four are growing up in safe, loving, nurturing homes. We do that by providing a quality early childhood education for them. Our parents are learning how they can be their child’s first and most important teacher....”

There will be another ribbon cutting in the future when the Roy Maas Youth Alternatives complete the changes.

https://www.poundingtherock.com/2019/7/20/20701043/san-antonio-spurs-sbgb-and-frost-bank-donate-200000-to-san-antonio-nonprofit-facilities-sean-elliott

About Roy Maas Youth Alternatives:

RMYA Vision
Restoring hope, one child at a time.

RMYA Mission
RMYA creates brighter futures for children in crisis by promoting individual success and healthy relationships in a safe, healing environment, giving children and families the tools to end the cycle of abuse.

https://rmya.org/about-rmya/#mission

EDIT to add:

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Post #137 » by **G R E Y** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 9:17 pm

Lonnie hosted his basketball camp at home in Reading, PA:

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Lonnie Walker IV inspires kids at Reading High basketball camp
About 300 kids, each wearing a T-shirt reading "Reading Made Me," packed the Geigle Complex for the camp led by the Red Knight legend, now an NBA player

As boys and girls ran through drills Wednesday morning — dribbling and shooting and jumping and practicing their defensive stances, all while music blared from speakers in the corner of the court — Walker bounced among them. He pretended to block their shots, he gave them tips on their form, he laughed and joked with them....

The 20-year-old Walker said he knows how the kids feel. It wasn't that long ago that he was one of them.

The memories are still fresh, he said, still crisp and seeped in emotion.

Back when he was a little kid, Walker used to play in the summer Blacktop Basketball League at City Park. The league's championship game wasn't held outdoors, but rather inside the Geigle Complex at Reading High.

To today's kids of Reading, and the rest of Berks County for that matter, that torch has been passed. To them, Walker is "the man."

While he seems a little bit uncomfortable with that, Walker has come to accept it. And he's used his "hero" status to do what he's always wanted to do.

"That's what I wanted my entire life, to help kids," he said. "I'm on a bigger stage now and I can capture these moments with these kids. These are moments that are going to last a lifetime."

When he chats with them, Walker said, he tries to paint a big picture. He talks about the world being larger than Reading, about the unlimited possibilities that exist for them.

One boy told him that he wanted to be a surgeon, a dream that Walker excitedly told him he shared.

"A lot of the kids tell me they want to be like me," Walker said. "I say, 'Man, be better than me.' You want all these kids in Reading to be better than me.

That kind of attitude is why people tend to flock to Walker. The staff at his camp was filled with former teammates and coaches, eager to lend a hand.

"You see this smile?" J.T. Randall, an assistant basketball coach at Reading High, said when asked why he was volunteering. "This is fun. Lonnie is doing what he always wanted to do, help kids. I'd do anything for that young man."

Randall said it's clear what Walker's efforts mean to the kids at his camp.

"Everything, everything, everything," he said. "They love to see someone they watched growing up is giving something back to them."

https://www.readingeagle.com/news/article/lonnie-walker-iv-inspires-kids-at-basketball-camp

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Post #138 » by **G R E Y** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 9:29 pm

Happening soon! David Robinson will be there for a meet and greet and help raise funds:

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About The Cherrity Bar:

Unlike other fundraising efforts, The Cherrity Bar is not just donating a portion of the profits to charity. They are giving it all away. The Cherrity Bar hopes to become a place where a diverse melting pot of people come together for the greater good while enjoying delicious food and savory drinks, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic.

EDIT to add photos of and call to support the fundraiser:

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Post #139 » by **G R E Y** » Thu Aug 1, 2019 3:37 am

Bryn and newly appointed Assistant Coach Will Hardy were lending their time and experience at a Spurs summer camp via the Spurs Sports Academy (p.s. Bryn. Is. Huge):

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Bryn Forbes and Will Hardy visit Spurs basketball camp
The week-long event places young players with an intense training

For over thirty years, the San Antonio Spurs have hosted a summer basketball camp. This year 150 campers from countries as far away as China and Turkey have sent their young basketball enthusiasts to participate in twelve hour days that prepare them for the rigors of training.

For the first year, a group of female players has joined in this week long camp that includes dorm living and food. They wake up as early as 7:00 a.m. to begin their workouts.

And on the first day of camp, all of the participants joined in the gymnasium at Incarnate Word University and were treated to some time with newly promoted assistant coach Will Hardy and point guard Bryn Forbes.

Hardy explained the techniques and reasoning behind each exercise and put Forbes through an intensive 30 minute workout complete with shooting drills.

Hardy was clear that this wasn’t a demonstration, this is what Forbes does everyday to stay game ready. The veteran guard expanded on his regiment and how he’s actually been at this since he was young while participating in a Q&A with the campers.

https://www.poundingtherock.com/2019/7/31/20748118/san-antonio-spurs-bryn-forbes-and-will-hardy-visit-spurs-basketball-camp

Post #140 » by **G R E Y** » Sat Aug 3, 2019 2:08 am

LMA back in SA to lend support to local kids and a great cause, The Boys & Girls Clubs of San Antonio (p.s. LMA looking slim and trim):

LaMarcus Aldridge's Back to School Bash

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Not for nothing, but good thing LMA is so tall and strong. The little ones got so worked up they swarmed him! Very cute.

Love that LMA initiated this:

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