2010 Holiday Party for Kids

On Saturday, the Lakers opened up their practice facility in El Segundo to local kids during the Lakers Holiday Party for Kids, the most recent event in the Lakers “A Season of Giving”, presented by East West Bank. This year’s Lakers Holiday Party for Kids featured a holiday reception hosted by the Laker Girls and was followed by a basketball clinic from the Lakers players. Though this year’s Lakers Holiday Party for Kids took a new format, one thing didn’t change: the Lakers and East West Bank sent each guest home with life-long memories and plenty of holiday gifts!

Guests from the Roy W. Roberts II/Watts-Willowbrook Boys and Girls Club, the Boys and Girls Club of Carson and the South Bay Community Center were first invited to a holiday reception at the nearby Hilton Garden Inn, where they were met by the Los Angeles Laker Girls. At the reception, the kids received their special Lakers “A Season of Giving” t-shirts and challenged each other with fun and interactive skills games such as relay races, memory games, and cone tipping games. After many spirited rounds of challenges, the guests had a moment to relax as they enjoyed lunch from Jersey Mike’s Subs. Then it was on to the main event, a basketball clinic with the Lakers.

The kids arrived at the Lakers practice facility where they were greeted by the Lakers team and each kid had a chance to pose for a team photo with the 2010-2011Lakers. Once the photos were taken, it was time to get active! The Lakers players set up three separate stations and worked with the kids on their basketball skills. Sasha Vujacic, Pau Gasol, Derrick Caracter and Theo Ratliff worked with the kids at a passing station. Derek Fisher, Luke Walton, Ron Artest, Devin Ebanks and Andrew Bynum taught dribbling skills, while Matt Barnes, Shannon Brown, Steve Blake and Lamar Odom instructed kids at the basketball shooting station.  Once each group had a chance to visit each station, the kids lined up to receive their holiday gifts. This year’s gifts included: a copy of their photo with the Lakers team, Lakers hats, basketballs, foam fingers, rally towels, and East West Bank blankets. There was a special addition to the list of gifts at the 2010 Lakers Holiday Party for Kids: $250 in gift cards to local retailers and grocery stores so that each kid could share the generosity of the Lakers, Lakers Youth Foundation and East West Bank with their whole family.

The Lakers thank East West Bank for their continued support of “A Season of Giving” and Hilton Garden Inn of El Segundo for their hospitality during the holiday reception. The Lakers also extend warm holiday greetings to all of their guests at the 2010 Lakers Holiday Party for Kids and to all Lakers fans throughout the world!