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While the Memphis Grizzlies are preparing to begin their  quest for a fifth consecutive playoff berth on the court, the Memphis Grizzlies  Charitable Foundation is already busy at work implementing their season  initiatives as they aim for another successful year off the court and the in  the community.

In fact, the continued success of the Grizzlies on the court  has made things easier for the Foundation as they go out into the community to  help wherever they can.

“I think one of the reason it makes things much easier is  that people want to be involved. It’s easier to get external people involved  when the team is going well,” said Grizzlies Foundation Chairman Elliot Perry.  “Also, we have a great group of players. There’s no question about that. These  players have heart. I’ve been on and around a lot of teams, and I’ve never seen  a team that has as many players doing things as we have. “

Since relocating to Memphis in 2001, the Foundation has  always made supporting mentoring and youth development programs a priority,  donating close to $40 million to help their programs and partners accomplish  their goals.

“We give tickets away, we give out resources, and those are  the easy parts,” said Perry. “As we were going over things with the Foundation, one of our thoughts was as to how we can really  make a tangible difference in the community. Not just money and not just time,  but also people. Out of that, we came up with mentoring.”

The Grizzlies Foundation is an official affiliate of MENTOR,  the National Mentoring Partnership, providing resources, leadership and in some  cases funding to more than 30 local programs in support of 1,000 mentors.

In addition, the Foundation continues its TEAM Mentoring  Program, matching nine middle school students with three volunteer adult  mentors who have committed to a sustained multi-year mentoring  relationship. 

“Our mission is to ensure every child in Memphis has the  opportunity to develop to his or her full potential,” said Diane Terrell,  executive director of the Grizzlies Foundation and Community Investment. “What distinguishes the Grizzlies Foundation  from other professional sports teams’ foundations is both our depth of  programming and, the infrastructure we’ve established to ensure those programs  are delivering on their promises to students and volunteers.”

Along  with their mentoring programs, the Grizzlies Foundation has worked with Memphis  Grizzlies controlling owner Robert Pera and the local ownership group to  significantly increase the organization’s investment in priority focus areas  supported by the Foundation, including increasing the number of high school  graduates prepared for success in college or career.

To  help accomplish this, Pera recently made a significant contribution to the  Grizzlies Foundation and his Ubiquiti Networks company continues to donate  resources and equipment to bring wireless access and upgraded technology to  schools, community centers, apartments and more across the Memphis area. 

"The  Ubiquiti products are proving to be great learning platform for the students engaged in enterprise-class deployments, while also providing significant access enhancements  for residents and businesses in the neighborhood,” said Terrell.

Also  this season, Pera is donating his personal floor seats next to the Grizzlies bench  for select games to reward high-performing students enrolled in STEM programs in the Greater Memphis area.

Along with mentoring and youth development, the Grizzlies  Foundation has aimed to boost the health and fitness of Memphis residents with  the recently established Riverfront Fitness Trail and Pop-Up Park at Tom Lee  Park downtown. 

"The  Memphis Grizzlies have been focused on improving the health and fitness of the  Memphis community, particularly children, since our very first season,” said  Terrell. “The Riverfront Fitness Trail and Pop-Up Park is a fun next step in  that journey, but one that remains rooted in our core principles of developing  a healthier, more active Memphis for everyone."

As the  tip-off of the 2014-15 NBA season grows closer, the focus will shift to the  on-court performance of the team. However, the Foundation has worked and  continues to work to make sure that the Grizzlies organization is measured by  more than just how the team performs in the race for a Western Conference  playoff spot. 

“I think you want to build an organization that is quality  on the court but also one is that high quality off the court,” said Perry.  “That people realize even though there’s a lot of focus on the team, it’s not  just about the record when it comes to a professional sports organization. “

grizzlies-foundation-works-to-provide-greater-impact-for-memphis-youth

Grizzlies Foundation works to provide greater impact for Memphis youth

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