-- Kings Co-Owner Honored for Community Giving --
SACRAMENTO, CA, June 10, 2010 -- Sacramento Kings co-owner Joe Maloof was named “Hero of the Week” on June 10 by CNN’s Headline News for his work in the community through the Maloof Skateboarding Assistance Foundation. The CNN Headline News “Hero of the Week” recognizes everyday people whose extraordinary accomplishments are making a difference in their communities and beyond.
Maloof was inspired to establish the Maloof Skateboarding Assistance Foundation (MSAF) after watching pro skater Jake Brown’s terrifying 30-foot fall in the X-Games in 2007. MSAF works to provide financial assistance for skaters, who are often considered too high risk to insure, and works to build much-needed skate parks for communities across the globe and help support amateur skaters.
The Maloofs were the first to build permanent, world-class skate parks for street competition and donate them to the city that hosts their annual skateboarding competition, the Maloof Money Cup, making an impact on kids for generations to come. Skateboarding has quickly become America’s fastest growing sport, and the donation of Maloof Money Cup skate parks provides a safe and legal place for kids to get active and involved in sports.
The family recently donated its first skate park, valued at $1.5 million, to the city of New York after completion of the Maloof Money Cup New York earlier this month. The Maloof Money Cup will also be headed to South Africa in 2011, where another world-class skate park will be built and donated to the South African community. Cities across the country and the globe are now petitioning to be the Maloof Money Cup’s next stop.
For additional information on the Maloof Money Cup, please visit www.maloofmoneycup.com.
About Maloof Sports and Entertainment:
Maloof Sports & Entertainment includes the Sacramento Kings (NBA) and ARCO Arena. Led by Joe and Gavin Maloof, and owned by the Maloof family with long-term, local partners, the organization is committed to the community in Sacramento and to making a positive, meaningful difference in the lives of families in need in the Sacramento region. Maloof Sports & Entertainment has donated more than $17 million to charities in 10 years of Maloof family ownership. For more information about Maloof Sports & Entertainment, please visit kings.com, arcoarena.com or call 916-928-0000.
About Maloof Money Cup
Now in its third year, the Maloof Money Cup, presented by Vans, has been dubbed the “world’s greatest skateboarding event.” Tickets for the 2010 Maloof Money Cup Orange County will be available soon at all Ticketmaster locations, online at ticketmaster.com, by calling (714) 740-2000 or (213) 480-3232 or at the OC Fair & Event Center Box Office at the Pacific Amphitheatre. Join our network to share the competition experience with a global audience and be the first to know about exciting upcoming MMC news and contests. Go to www.maloofmoneycup.com for photos, videos and all the behind-the-scenes action. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter: @maloofmoneycup.