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This season, Malone started 2004 off with some unexpected surprises for the children of Heart of Los Angeles Youth (HOLA). Malone and Clear Channel Motorsports invited a group of children from HOLA to attend the Monster Truck Jam in Anaheim on Saturday, Jan. 10. The kids and their chaperones arrived at Edison Field where they met a Lakers representative and each guest received a Lakers duffel bag filled with Lakers merchandise.
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Karl Malone participated in a work day at the Los Angeles Boys and Girls Club. Catherine Steenkeste/NBAE/Getty Images |
Malone's generosity continued a few days later when he sponsored a shopping spree for 25 middle school children who are part of HOLA's L.A. Bridges program. Again, the children had no idea about the special field trip in which they were participating.
They arrived at the headquarters of Quiksilver, and many believed they were going to take a tour of the offices. The children entered the building and were escorted to the meeting room, where they were showered with confetti and silly string by the hundreds of Quiksilver employees who lined the hallway and walkways from above. They were led to the stage and when each child's name was called out they received a thunderous applause and welcome from the employees. After the children were introduced, their "Secret Santa" revealed his identity.
From the back of the room, Malone made his way through the crowd and surprised the students and employees when he jumped up on stage. He gave an emotional speech and strongly encouraged the kids to take advantage of this opportunity that he was about to give them –- he was going to let each child go on a shopping spree and pick out clothes for themselves, their brothers and sisters and their parents. Each child was told they could select 45-50 items each. Malone had paid for each child to have a $1,000 spending limit. All that he asked for the kids to do in return was to remember their experience when they had the same chance to do something nice for someone else.
For his last good deed in January, Karl Malone joined WNBA All-Star Lisa Leslie in a "Work Day" at the Los Angeles Boys and Girls Club to get the facility ready for the NBA All-Star Legacy Project dedication ceremony. Malone and Leslie joined 20 students from the KIPP LA Prep Academy in painting the walls of the hallways and stairwells at the Club. After the project was completed, both Malone and Leslie visited the rest of the students at the Academy and held a question and answer session.
"It's always important to give more back to a community than you take from it," said Malone. "Ever since I was a little boy, I knew I was going to grow up and make something of myself, and that if I had the opportunity, I would give back as much as I could to the community."
Malone joins Jermaine O'Neal of the Indiana Pacers (December) Aaron McKie and Marc Jackson of the Philadelphia 76ers (November) and Rashard Lewis of the Seattle Sonics (October) as winners of the NBA's Community Assist Award for the 2003-04 season.
Other nominees for January's Community Assist Award were the Orlando Magic's Juwan Howard, Atlanta Hawks' Theo Ratliff (now of the Portland Trail Blazers), Sacramento Kings' Peja Stojakovic, and the Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James.
As the recipient of the NBA Community Assist Award, Malone will receive the David Robinson Plaque, with the inscription "Following the standard set by NBA Legend David Robinson who improved the community piece by piece." Last season, NBA Commissioner David Stern presented former San Antonio Spurs center David Robinson with an honorary plaque and announced that all future winners of the NBA Community Assist Award would receive the David Robinson Plaque.
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. All 29 NBA teams are able to nominate a player for the award each month.
The NBA, its teams and players are committed to programs that improve the quality of life for all people and has created and implemented programs that address important social issues, with a special emphasis on reading and online literacy initiatives for children. The NBA and its 29 teams make a difference in North America through the Read to Achieve Program, donations to charities and the implementation of community outreach initiatives, and through the production and airing of public service announcements.
