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Jazz and Partners Contribute Nearly $200,000 in Charitable Donations This Season

SALT LAKE CITY (April 15, 2014) -- As part of a shared commitment to giving back, the Utah Jazz and eight different partners teamed up this season to provide community assists through an array of outreach programs. By the conclusion of the 2013-14 Jazz season, nearly $200,000 in charitable donations will be distributed to a variety of schools, non-profit organizations and residents to enhance the lives of youth and families.

Jazz players Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter also helped to do their part by purchasing 60 tickets to every home game this season for donation, enabling nearly 5,000 local residents from more than 100 different community groups and schools to attend a Jazz game.

For every rebound that a Jazz player pulled down this season, AAA donated $5 to be distributed amongst three Utah search and rescue organizations: Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue, Utah County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue and Weber County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue. A total of $16,000 was presented during an on-court ceremony at the Jazz game on April 4.

AT&T’s “Assisting the Community” program, featuring a $5 donation for every assist made by a Jazz player during the 2013-14 season, provided a $10,000 donation to Art Access, a non-profit organization that offers art opportunities for local residents. The check presentation took place on court during the Jazz game on April 8. In collaboration with Art Access and The Road Home, the Jazz and AT&T also created a mural with an assist from Jazz forward Jeremy Evans that will be installed on the exterior of the Artspace Bridge Projects in downtown Salt Lake City.

The CenturyLink All-Star Teacher Awards program awarded a total of $10,000 to five local schools this season: Boulton Elementary School, Copper Hills High School, Hurricane High School, Riverton High School and Two Rivers High School. The program featured an online nomination process and recognized outstanding local teachers. The five winners received $1,000 for their respective schools’ general fund, with an additional $5,000 awarded to Two Rivers High School on behalf of the grand prize winner, Ray Franklin, during the Jazz game on April 11.

For every blocked shot by the Jazz during the 2013-14 season, Utah Ford dealerships donated $50 to the Lone Survivor Foundation. A check totaling $17,150 was presented to the non-profit organization on court during the Jazz game on April 14.

In its third year, the Jazz and KeyBank’s “Item of the Night” program provided a $1 donation to the Utah Food Bank for every featured item purchased at an in-arena Fanzz store during the 2013-14 season. A check for $7,588 was presented to the Utah Food Bank on court during the Jazz game on April 8. To date, KeyBank has donated a total of $19,408 to the Utah Food Bank through their “Item of the Night” sponsorship with the Jazz.

The Jazz and Mountain America’s new “Pass It Along” program provided a total of $30,000 to six local charitable organizations ($5,000 each): Boys & Girls Clubs of South Valley, Columbus Community Center, Huntsman Cancer Foundation, Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Intermountain Area, Shriners Hospitals for Children – Salt Lake City, and the Utah Youth Village.

For the fifth consecutive year, the Jazz and Mountain America partnered with the Huntsman Cancer Foundation to help fight cancer. Mountain America donated $50 to the Huntsman Cancer Foundation for every three-point shot made by a Jazz player during the 2013-14 season. The total donation of $26,150 was presented to the non-profit organization on court during the Jazz game on April 11.

For every point the Jazz scored in the paint this season, Washakie contributed $5 towards the Kingston Energy and Engineering Scholarship Fund and Miller Sports Properties matched this amount, resulting in a contribution totaling $50,000. The check was presented during the Jazz Green Game on April 4.

The Utah Jazz and Western Governors University teamed up this season to grant one year of free tuition to four students. The four winners were honored during an on-court ceremony at the Jazz game on April 14.