By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
The NBA All-Star Game returns to Cleveland in 2022, and the league, alongside the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) will collaborate with local community organizations to deliver programming and support centered on youth, education, health equity, food insecurity, and economic inclusion.
As part of the All-Star Weekend, the league will once again boost the HBCU community and empower the next generation of players. The men’s basketball teams from Howard Campus and Morgan State University will face off in the first-ever NBA HBCU Classic on Saturday. The game will be broadcast on TNT, ESPN2, and NBA TV, and will also include a $100,000 grant to help support both universities.
Per NBPA’s press release:
Committed to making a lasting impact in every community its players touch, the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Foundation has awarded a series of grants to a number of Cleveland and Akron-based organizations in celebration of the city hosting the 2022 NBA All-Star Weekend.
To support access to sports for all young people, the NBPA Foundation is pleased to announce grants totaling $50,000 have been awarded to support sports programming in schools around Cleveland. The donation will go specifically to Playworks, a national nonprofit that supports learning and physical health by providing safe and inclusive play to low-income students in urban areas, and will support Cleveland schools by providing training and resources to increase access to sports and play.
In addition to these grants, the NBPA Foundation is also supporting the work of 2022 NBA All-Star Darius Garland in the Cleveland community through its player matching grant program. In December, Garland supported youth initiatives at the Boys and Girls Club of Northeast Ohio, and the NBPA Foundation will match his donation.
The NBPA Foundation is also continuing to support local civic engagement ecosystems with renewed investments in Cleveland VOTES and The Freedom BLOC, Ohio-based organizations focused on supporting civic engagement and the protection of voting rights. These grants are provided through the Players’ Justice Fund, which was created from the proceeds of the auction of game-worn jerseys from the 2020 season restart in Orlando. In October 2020, the Player’s Justice Fund provided support to 19 organizations around the country working to increase voter turnout and combat voter suppression.
“Each year, All-Star Weekend gives the NBPA Foundation an opportunity to engage with the host city and support local community organizations focused on causes our players are passionate about,” said Lyzz Ogunwo, acting executive director of the NBPA Foundation. “We are thrilled to support these organizations and their important work.”
“Play is part of what helps kids feel more connected, included, joyous, and positively impacts their overall mental and physical wellbeing,” said Elizabeth Cushing, CEO of Playworks. “Playworks is proud to support this work in Cleveland through the NBPA Foundation grant to provide additional opportunities for more elementary-age kids to benefit from experiencing safe, healthy, and meaningful play every day.”
“Cleveland VOTES seeks to elevate the importance of equitable democracy for historically disenfranchised members of our community and partner with mission-aligned entities,” said Erica Anthony, Co-Founder of Cleveland VOTES. “We are grateful for the NBPA Foundation’s commitment to the racial/social justice movement and voting access to collectively uplift the power of the vote!”
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