Charlie Villanueva smiles with some of the children in the Dominican Republic that received a pair of Crocs shoes as part of his foundation's Tenis Para Ninos initiative. (The CVF)

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September 16, 2008

MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee Bucks forward Charlie Villanueva received the NBA Community Assist Award for August in recognition of his charitable efforts. The award honors the NBA player who best reflects the passion that the league and its players have for giving back to their communities. Just a couple of Villanueva’s summer efforts include supplying 10,000 Crocs shoes to people in the Dominican Republic and $35,000 worth of food to 400+ families in Washington Heights (in the Manhattan Borough), New York. Bucks.com caught up with Charlie V to talk about his summer and the Bucks.

Bucks.com: Congratulations on winning the NBA assist award – what does it mean to get the award and some extra attention for all the causes you’ve worked for?

Charlie Villanueva: Thanks, the stuff I do in the community and for the kids, I don’t expect to get an award for. They’re things that I want to do and giving back is something I truly believe in. To get an award is great and all, but I do these things because I love doing them and I’m passionate about what I do.

Bucks.com: You helped supply 10,000 Crocs shoes to people in the Dominican Republic – how did that come together?

CV: That was me and my brother wanting to do something for the Dominican Republic and we brainstormed on it. We came up with donating Crocs to them. We got in contact with the right people and everything came together. Crocs, SolesUnited, Feed the Children and UNICEF were the partners that helped us out tremendously. They did a great job and it became a success.

We went to three locations and personally handed them out. It was a successful project and the kids were happy. It went well.

Bucks.com: Your busy summer included giving $35,000 worth of food to 400+ families in New York City – do you set goals for these events or do you just find ways to get involved?

CV: I try to find ways to help out as much as I can. Again, Feed the Children was one of the partners in that. It was another successful event that a lot of people came out for. It was in Washington Heights – Manhattan, New York. It was great to see the smiles on the faces of the kids and parents. It brings joy to my life.

Bucks.com: How did you get involved with World Malaria Day and what was it like to meet President Bush?

CV: This was my second time meeting him. The first time was when we won the championship in Connecticut.

Bucks.com: So you’re old friends?

CV: (laughing) Yeah, that’s my buddy. I got his cell phone number and we talk every now and then.

It was good. He was fun to interact with. There aren’t too many people who can say they’ve had a conversation with the President. He knew who I was, which was interesting. He knows his sports a little bit.

It was a Connecticut event and I’m basically from Connecticut, playing there two years. They got in touch with me through my agent and told me about it. I said I was thrilled to do it. I went up there and talked about malaria to create some awareness. That’s what it’s all about, doing some positive things for the community.

Bucks.com: You regularly work with alopecia organizations along with Hispanic heritage groups and Milwaukee’s Latino community. How rewarding is it to have a long-lasting relationship with these groups and communities and be able to come back and see a difference first hand?

CV: One of my goals is whenever I do an event – the next time I do it, I want it to be better. That’s something I’ve always believed in, getting better with every event. It’s very rewarding, doing these events, to see people happy, seeing the partners that we have and things getting bigger. I’m going to be doing these things for awhile – until the wheels fall off.

Bucks.com: What’s your motivation and how do you find the time to do everything you have over this busy summer?

CV: It’s been a very busy summer, but I believe if you are truly passionate about something and believe in it, you’ll find time for it. It was definitely a busy summer, but I made time for the people that have supported me for a long time and doing these events.

Being an NBA player is truly a blessing. And I’m a huge believer in giving back.

Bucks.com: On to some basketball questions… You’ve got training camp coming up in a couple weeks, how are you feeling physically?

CV: I’m feeling great. I’m healthy and feeling good. I spent most of my summer working out in L.A. I have my own trainer, my own cook, my own masseuse. I took my workouts very, very, very, very, very seriously.

Bucks.com: Was that four or five “verys?”

CV: (laughing) That was five “verys.” It was very serious because I know this is a big year for me and the team. I wanted to be prepared. Scott Skiles is a tough coach and I came here a few days ago to prepare for it. I’ve been here working out, trying to get right.

Training camp doesn’t start until the 30th, so I’m trying to get a couple weeks here with the guys before camp because everyone’s new here. The players are new, the coaches are new. There’s only six guys from last year’s team so I’m trying to get familiar with the coaching staff and players as well.

Bucks.com: We know what you’ve been up to in the community this summer, but what have you been working on in the gym?

CV: I can’t reveal that, come on now. (laughing) I’ve just been working on my conditioning. That’s very important in this league, especially seeing Coach Skiles’ way of coaching. He likes to play up-tempo and fast paced. It was conditioning, trying to get into the best shape as possible and everything should take care of itself after that.

Bucks.com: What are your thoughts on the team’s offseason moves and have you set any personal or team goals for this year?

CV: As far as the team goes, it’s definitely to make the playoffs. That’s a huge goal for us, we haven’t been to the playoffs in a couple years.

As an individual, I want to be a guy that averages a double-double in this league. I think I can definitely do that. It’s going to take some work, but I can definitely achieve that.

The offseason moves have all been good. It’s been tough for me too, because I had good relationships with the guys that left. I’m still close with them, but I understand this is a business. I think overall we are a better team. It doesn’t really mean anything on paper, we have to go out there and show it. I think we can do it with the coaching staff and players that we have. It’s going to be a very exciting year.