| 2005: $44K Donation to Tsunami Relief Fund |
|
January 10, 2005 -- SFX BASKETBALL SHOOT-A-THON RAISES $300,000 FOR
TSUNAMI AND EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS... Shoot-a-Thon Featuring Jalen Rose,
Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Tracy McGrady, Mike Miller, Jermaine O'Neal,
and Bobby Sura Results in $212,000 for UNICEF; Additional SFX Athletes
and Agents Contribute to bring total to $300,000. SFX Sports Agency announced today that it will contribute $300,000 to UNICEF's South Asia Emergency Relief Efforts. The SFX basketball stars joined together for a Shoot-a-Thon where $1,000 was donated for every point they scored in a game last week. In addition to donating money, the athletes hoped to encourage their fans and the public to do whatever they could to help out the 1.5 million children affected by the disaster. "This act of giving by these generous players will encourage more public support and result in more children being helped," said Charles J. Lyons, president of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. "UNICEF is focused on keeping the smallest survivors of the tsunamis alive, and we are grateful to these players for their contributions and continued support." "I think when more players find out about it, they'll get involved," said Rose. "Sometimes you hear a lot of horror stories about relief funds not getting to designated party, but in this case UNICEF will make certain that won't happen." Jalen Rose, who scored 21 points, chose to use his career high point total for a game, 44, and will donate $44,000 to UNICEF. Rose added, "The situation in South Asia is devastating and I feel for the children who are homeless, injured, and sick. I hope the funds raised by the Shoot-a-Thon will help UNICEF continue to do their good work and encourage others to give whatever they can to help the victims of this terrible disaster." Jermaine O'Neal, who scored 32 points in his Shoot-a-Thon game, opted to use his career-high 55 point total from earlier in the week and will donate $55,000 to UNICEF. SFX CEO Arn Tellem matched O'Neal's donation with a $55,000 contribution of his own. In Los Angles, Kobe Bryant raised $27,000 and the Lakers will match his donation. Tracy McGrady scored 26 points and will donate $30,000. Teammate Bobby Sura will donate $20,000 after scoring 20 points against the Lakers. Pau Gasol (20 points) and Mike Miller (16 points) will donate $20,000 and $16,000 respectively. In addition to the players participating in the Shoot-a-Thon, the following SFX basketball stars joined the company's efforts to raise money for UNICEF: Kwame Brown, Mike Dunleavy, Joe Johnson, Dahntay Jones, Nenad Krstic, Corey Maggette, Vladimir Radmanovich, Quentin Richardson, Ha Seung-Jin, Etan Thomas, and Earl Watson. The four relief priorities that UNICEF said all players in the relief effort should emphasize include: First, the relief effort must focus on keeping children alive. This means clean water, adequate sanitation, basic nutrition, and routine medical care. These are basics that cannot be over emphasized. Keeping children who survived the floods alive and healthy is UNICEF's priority. Second, caring for separated children. UNICEF's relief plans give high priority to finding children who've lost their families, identifying them, and reuniting them with their extended families and communities. UNICEF is involved in efforts to register and care for unaccompanied children in every country. Third, UNICEF's efforts must ensure that children are protected from exploitation. In tumultuous environments like those in the tsunami zone - where families are broken apart, incomes are lost, and hope is in short supply - children are more vulnerable to abuses. Fourth, UNICEF said the relief efforts must help children cope with their trauma by getting them back in school as quickly as possible and train adults who interact with children - such as teachers and health workers - to spot the signs of severe trauma. Schools have been damaged and destroyed in every tsunami country, with ongoing assessments to survey where and when learning can be re-established. "Being in a learning environment gives children something positive to focus on, and enables the adults around them to go about the business of rebuilding with greater confidence. About UNICEF Founded in 1946, UNICEF helps save, protect and improve the lives of children around the world through immunization, education, health care, nutrition, clean water, and sanitation. UNICEF is non-partisan and its cooperation is free of discrimination. In everything it does, the most disadvantaged children and the countries in greatest need have priority. To make a donation to UNICEF's South Asia Emergency Relief Efforts, please call 1-800-4UNICEF or go to: UNICEF |
