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World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame
P.O. Box 9324 Boise, Idaho 83707-3324
(208) 343-7224 - Fax: (208) 343-0831 - hof@sportshumanitarian.com
www.SportsHumanitarian.com
Honorary Chair
George H.W. Bush, 41st President of the United States

Former Kings center Vlade Divac amassed more than 3,000 assists along with over 13,000 points, 9,000 rebounds and two Olympic medals during his 15-year NBA career. On Tuesday, the former All-Star will be honored with Hall of Fame induction for perhaps his most important assist of all. But this Hall of Fame – The World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame – honors world-class athletes not just for their prowess in the game, but for assistance to the community. A commitment that both Divac and the Kings embrace.

One of three world-class athletes to be elected to the Humanitarian Hall’s Class of 2008, Divac will be honored alongside three-time NFL Pro-Bowl running back Warrick Dunn of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Olympic skier Jimmie Heuga, the slalom skiing bronze medalist at the 1964 Innsbruck Games, who put the U.S. on the world stage by becoming one of the first Americans to medal in the sport.

The Sacramento great joins eight NBA players and a collection of sports immortals such as tennis great Arthur Ashe, Major League Baseball pioneer Jackie Robinson, NFL coaching legend Tom Landry, soccer great Pele and the Harlem Globetrotters to be enshrined in the Boise Hall for their self-less commitment to improving the lives of others.

“To help people around the world is so important,” said Divac, who played for Sacramento from 1998-2004 where he was named to the 2001 NBA All-Star team and helped the Kings to six of six playoff appearances and a 2002 trip to the Western Conference Finals. “My country went through tough times, which is why I get involved. The feeling is great when you get recognized,” he said. “It means that a lot of people care. It’s a great feeling.”

For Divac, community service has taken on global proportions – mirroring the former Yugoslav national team member’s travels in basketball.

Initially, his Group Seven Children’s Foundation, founded with six Serbian national team members, helped children improve their basketball skills by providing free camps, clinics, lectures equipment and apparel. But its mission changed when children in the former Yugoslavia needed more immediate and important help following civil wars and unrest in the Balkans.

Divac’s work has since provided more than $9 million in humanitarian assistance and educational programs to children in Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the United States, Indonesia, Ethiopia and China. And his attention is now focused on improving the circumstances of the nearly 7,000 refugees displaced over 15 years ago from war-ravaged Yugoslavia.

“Playing basketball in the states gave me an opportunity to see the world through different eyes,” said Divac. “The world is so small. We depend on each other and should help each other.”

Today, his organization is known has Humanitarian Organization Divac (HOD) www.Divac.com, and provides humanitarian assistance and educational programs to children in Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina. And his You Can Too campaign has enlisted the support of NBA commissioner David Stern and a number of NBA players and coaches and Hollywood elite to raise $15 million to empower Serbian refugees to realize their right to housing, work, material security and self confidence.

“Vlade stands-out among athletes everywhere as a role model to our youth and our leaders,” said Larry Maneely, president of the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame. “Vlade and our other inductees have shown how one athlete can make a profound difference in our world. They represent all that is good in sport.”

The other members of the Hall’s Class of 2008 have embraced their own communities through their own circumstances. Dunn, by turning the tragedy of his mother’s death into a catalyst to help struggling single parents realize the dream of home ownership. And Heuga, whose diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) at the height of his international ski-racing career, empowered the Olympic bronze medalist to change for the better, the way people with MS live with the disease. His efforts led to the founding of the now internationally recognized Heuga Center for Multiple Sclerosis.

In addition to honoring individuals, the Humanitarian Hall also recognizes a commitment to community service by professional sports organizations. In 2005, the King’s and Monarchs were honored with the Hall’s Pro Team Community Award – singling out the organization as the most community-focused professional sports franchise for that year.

The World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame inductees represent 12 different sports and support charitable causes in 11 philanthropic categories including Children & Youth, Civil Rights, Education, Health & Disease, Homelessness, Hunger & Poverty, Inner City Revitalization, Overseas Aid, Sports & Recreation, Values in Education, and Women's Equality in Sport.

About The World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame
The World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame (www.SportsHumanitarian.com), located on the Boise State University campus in Idaho, recognizes individuals and organizations from the world of amateur and professional athletics who, through their humanitarian efforts, distinguish themselves as role models in the community. Over 35 sports-humanitarians have been enshrined in Boise including tennis great Arthur Ashe, Major League Baseball pioneer Jackie Robinson, NFL coaching legend Tom Landry, the NBA's David Robinson, soccer great Pelé and the Harlem Globetrotters.

The Hall was the inspiration behind Boise’s Humanitarian Bowl and its Humanitarian Awards program annually recognizes exceptional community-focused organizations and leaders from Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, National Football League, National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, NASCAR, NCAA College Football and other organizations. The World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is open weekdays to visitors and humanitarians of all ages.

National Humanitarian Awards
USA Weekend Most Caring Youth Coach Award
Nell & John Wooden Lifetime Coaching Achievement Award
Tradition of Excellence Award in cooperation with the Heisman Trophy Trust
Pro Team Community Award
Founder’s Award