Utah Jazz Community Outreach

Utah Jazz and LHM Charities Assist With Construction of New Community Basketball Court

The Utah Jazz and Larry H. Miller Charities are once again collaborating with a local city on construction of an outdoor community basketball court. The new court is being built in Neptune Park, located in Saratoga Springs. Larry H. Miller Charities has donated funding that will cover half of construction costs.

On a sunny day in early September, Saratoga Springs officials and a representative from the Utah Jazz were on hand as Tennis and Track Company began pouring cement for the project. The post tension court measures 100 feet long and 70 feet wide and consists of one seamless slab of concrete, which provides a much smoother playing surface.

Once the cement cures, boundary lines will be painted in team colors and a large Jazz logo will be featured at center court. Smaller Jazz logos will be incorporated onto all the backboards. The project is scheduled for completion sometime in October and a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at that time to officially open the court for public use.

Since 2001, the Utah Jazz and Larry H. Miller Charities have partnered with local organizations to help construct eight other community basketball courts along the Wasatch Front.

Utah Jazz Honors Scout Contest Winners

The Utah Jazz is a long-standing supporter of Boy Scouts of America and for many years has provided contest incentives to encourage ticket sales to Scout-O-Rama, an annual fundraising event. In 2010, scouts from the Great Salt Lake Council competed for prizes that were awarded based on the number of tickets sold.

Winners of the competition were honored during a halftime ceremony held at a Jazz preseason game. Sam Huff placed first in ticket sales, Ethan Winterbottom placed second and Ethan Elwood placed third. Great Salt Lake Council leaders Vic Rowberry and Mike Neider assisted with the awards presentation.

The Utah Jazz is proud to be affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America and recognizes the positive influence this outstanding institution has had on youth over the years.

Utah Jazz Players and Coaches Visit Local Children’s Hospitals

The Utah Jazz has a long-standing tradition of reaching out to youth during the holidays, and has made annual Christmas visits to hospitalized children for more than 20 years. Each December, the franchise meets with patients and families at Primary Children’s Medical Center and Shriners Hospital for Children - Salt Lake City.

Youth receive a brief visit and are provided with a gift from the Jazz. Hundreds of children have benefited from these outreach efforts. Going to the hospitals is a highlight for the team, and participants look forward to the occasion each year.

Utah Jazz Hosts Basketball Clinics

Scott Layden, assistant coach for the Utah Jazz, Mark McKown, assistant coach/player development, and Richard Smith, director of basketball operations, have reached out to the community over the past few years by offering free basketball clinics. Participants have included at-risk youth and the children of local educators, police officers, nurses, firefighters and military personnel.

Clinics are held at the Jazz practice facility, Zions Bank Basketball Center, with approximately 30 youth participating in each class. Layden and Smith start each clinic with a warm-up session and then focus on teaching fundamental skills through a series of basketball drills. Participants also receive a tour of the team’s locker room and stop by the facility’s movie theater to watch film from a Jazz game. At the end of every clinic, each child receives a complimentary Jazz gift to take home.

"The Jazz has always shown an interest in everyone in the community. This is one small way to say thank you and show appreciation to the important people in our lives – teachers, police officers, nurses, firefighters and members of the military," said Layden.

Utah Jazz Coaches and Trainers Support Local Boys & Girls Clubs

Utah Jazz coaches and trainers have provided hundreds of local children the opportunity to attend Jazz basketball games via the National Basketball Association’s Coaches for Kids initiative. Through the program, NBA coaches, assistant coaches, general managers and athletic trainers contribute to Boys & Girls Clubs of America, enabling thousands of youth across the nation to attend NBA games.

Participants in the Jazz Coaches for Kids program this past season were drawn from the Hill Air Force Base Youth Center and from the Brigham City, South Valley and Greater Salt Lake Boys & Girls Clubs. Jazz coaches and trainers hosted a total of 1,000 youth at home games last year.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America traces its roots back to 1860, when several women in Connecticut decided to offer boys who roamed the streets a positive alternative. The organization has since expanded to include girls and is located in communities throughout the nation.

Jazz Employees Honor Former Team Owner

On Tuesday, April 26, 2011, Utah Jazz basketball operations and front office staff joined other Utah-based employees of the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies to honor the late Larry H. Miller and his contributions to the community. Miller, who owned the Utah Jazz for 24 years prior to his death in 2009, was a well-known and respected entrepreneur, community advocate and humanitarian. Employees paid tribute to him by participating in a service project on behalf of the homeless.

The project was held in collaboration with The Road Home, a social service agency that operates Utah’s largest homeless shelter. Employees performed tasks such as cleaning, painting, sorting food and clothing, and planting flowers as they volunteered at three of The Road Home’s facilities: the main shelter, the community winter shelter and Palmer Court.

This is the second year Jazz employees have participated in a commemorative service project to honor the team’s former owner.

Utah Jazz Hosts Thanksgiving Celebration for Homeless

Each November, the Utah Jazz collaborates with several other organizations in the community to feed Salt Lake City’s homeless and low-income population at We Care – We Share, a Thanksgiving dinner celebration held at EnergySolutions Arena.

More than 3,300 meals were served to individuals and families at last year’s event. Guests dined on traditional Thanksgiving fare of turkey, potatoes and pumpkin pie while listening to music provided by Salt Lake City Mission. The mission also provided transportation to the arena and a selection of clothing for those in need.

Serving Thanksgiving dinner to the homeless is a long-standing holiday tradition for the Utah Jazz. Other annual traditions the franchise participates in include hosting a Toys for Tots drive and visiting patients at local children’s hospitals.

Utah Jazz and Utah Education Association Recognize Local Educators

For the fifth consecutive year, the Utah Jazz and Utah Education Association (UEA) have sponsored the Great Public Schools Celebration Awards (GPSCA), a program aimed at recognizing exceptional teachers and educational programs in Utah. Winners were selected from nominations submitted by local educators.

W. Darren Hodges from Oak Canyon Junior High School in Lindon, Utah, was the 2010 winner in the category of outstanding educational program. Hodges oversees Science With an Attitude, a program that utilizes middle school students to instruct younger children as part of a traveling science show. The program has reached over 35,000 elementary school students since its inception in 1996.

Adelle Curtis of Granger High School was the 2010 winner in the outstanding educator category. Curtis is a gifted teacher who helped create a new course of mathematics after noticing there were students who wanted to continue their studies but lacked the knowledge to succeed at higher level classes. She is known for her enthusiasm and willingness to work extra hours to assist students.

The GPSCA winners were honored in mid March during halftime at a Utah Jazz game. Each recipient received a dinner certificate, an award plaque and a visit from the Jazz Bear to their school.

Utah Jazz Supports Wheelchair Basketball Team

The Wheelin’ Jazz, Utah’s elite wheelchair basketball team, gave fans a closer look at a unique sport during halftime of a Jazz preseason game last fall. The team participated in an on-court exhibition scrimmage against its younger counterparts, the Junior Wheelin’ Jazz. Players sported jerseys previously donated by the Utah Jazz, and the scrimmage highlighted participants’ discipline and athleticism.

The Wheelin’ Jazz is a member of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA), which was founded in 1948 in response to interest from disabled World War II veterans in participatory sports.

The Junior Wheelin’ Jazz consists of players between the ages of 13 to 21, and is a member of the NWBA Junior Division. The 2009-10 season marked the first time the team competed at the national level.