| 2005: Jalen Aids Children Devastated In Hurricane Katrina |
|
October 19, 2005 - Toronto and Detroit - NBA Star Jalen Rose has made a
personal donation of $50,000 to help children devastated by Hurricane
Katrina. Rose is directing the donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters and
The Child Welfare League of America, two leading national organizations
with expert personnel on the ground in the Gulf region. Each charity
will receive $25,000. Working through The Jalen Rose Foundation at The Giving Back Fund, Rose is no stranger to philanthropy. Over the past few years he has granted out almost three quarters of a million dollars to a variety of important causes including college scholarship programs at his alma maters Detroit Southwestern High School and the University of Michigan. Jalen was recently named by Black Enterprise Magazine as one of the community's top philanthropists; he was the only athlete on the list. Commenting on the importance of philanthropy in his life Jalen stated, "Although I've never experienced a hurricane, I feel blessed to be in a position where I can help the survivors, especially the kids, who were devastated by this tragedy." Rose's donation will support children in the communities impacted by Hurricane Katrina as well as provide services to displaced families. Both CWLA and BBBS have established separate funds benefiting children in the stricken areas. 100% of all donations will be used for the relief effort. "This contribution is yet another example of the caring and compassion Jalen Rose has demonstrated throughout his career," said Shay Bilchik, President and CEO of the Child Welfare League of America. "It will support the services children impacted by the hurricane will need in the weeks and months to come, including counseling and assistance in being reunited with family members. It is hard to put a dollar figure on the good that will be accomplished as a result of this donation," noted Bilchik. Judy Vredenburgh, President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America praised Rose for his philanthropy. "We and the 250,000 children served by Big Brothers Big Sisters send a warm thank you to Jalen Rose. What a role model," she said. "Children who have lost their homes and been evacuated to new towns, new schools, even new states need the help that a Big Brother or Big Sister can provide. We thank Mr. Rose for being on the front lines in this second round battle against the hurricane damage, the damage to our children," Vredenburgh concluded. More information about the Jalen Rose Foundation is available at www.jalenrosefoundation.org. About The Jalen Rose Foundation Toronto Raptors Guard Jalen Rose created The Jalen Rose Foundation with The Giving Back Fund to show his appreciation for the communities where he has lived and played basketball. The Jalen Rose Foundation focuses on three areas of critical importance to Jalen, including: * providing funding for programs that support single parent families; * working with community kitchens to provide meals for individuals and families in need; and * supporting nonprofit organizations that assist deserving children in achieving their primary education and/or college goals. Grants are distributed in Detroit, Michigan; and Toronto, Canada. About the Child Welfare League of America Since 1920, The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) has been the nation?s pre-eminent membership-based organization dedicated to ensuring that disadvantaged and vulnerable children are protected from harm and have the tools and resources they need to grow into the healthy and happy adults we want them to become. CWLA is the trusted authority for professionals who work with children and the only national organization with 900 public and private member agencies providing unique access and influence in all sectors of the children?s services field. The American Institute of Philanthropy gives CWLA an A+ grade for its effectiveness; in 2003, Worth Magazine selected CWLA as one of America's Top 100 Charities. For additional information, visit cwla.org. About Big Brothers Big Sisters Big Brother Big Sisters, founded in 1904, is the oldest, largest and most effective youth mentoring organization in the United States with documented positive outcomes for youth who are Little Brothers and Sisters. In 2004, the organization served some 225,000 youth, ages six through 18, in 5,000 communities across the country in one-to-one relationships. Forbes magazine has placed Big Brothers Big Sisters on its Gold-Star list of the top 10 charities for its excellence in efficiency and effectiveness. For additional information about the organization and how to be part of the goal of providing one million youth with Big Brothers and Big Sisters by the year 2010, visit bigbrothersbigsisters.org. Players Aiding Relief Efforts Receive September Community Assist Award NEW YORK, Oct. 3, 2005 - The combined relief efforts of the NBA family, which includes individual players, the National Basketball Players Association and Women's National Basketball Players Association, individual owners, teams and both the NBA and WNBA league offices, has exceeded $10 million. On behalf of their efforts, the NBA is recognizing all our players for the September NBA Community Assist Award. NBA players have already contributed millions of dollars and have assisted in collecting and delivering supplies, food and clothing to benefit those affected by Hurricane Katrina. The NBA and WNBA are making a commitment of $2 million to humanitarian organizations to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina, $1 million of which is pledged to the American Red Cross. As players and teams continue to aid in the relief, the NBPA and WNBPA have joined forces with Feed the Children in Operation Rebound, a multifaceted and on-going effort to provide food and assistance to the victims. NBA player relief efforts to date include: ...Raptors Star Jalen Rose has made a personal donation of $50,000 to help children devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Rose is directing the donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters and The Child Welfare League of America, two leading national organizations with expert personnel on the ground in the Gulf region. Each charity will receive $25,000... The NBA Community Assist Award is given out monthly by the league to recognize players for their charitable efforts. The award honors the NBA player who reflects the passion that the league and its players have for their communities. The usual $5,000 gift given to the players' charity of choice will be donated to the American Red Cross. |
