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Denver Nuggets to Participate in 5th Annual giveSPORTS Equipment Drive

August 19, 2016 (Denver, CO) – The 5th Annual giveSPORTS Equipment Drive Presented by KeyBank will be held at Pepsi Center on Saturday, August 20th from 9 AM to Noon in the Rav 4 Parking Lot. Event co-founders, Kroenke Sports Charities and A Precious Child, invite the public to support underprivileged children in their desire to participate in sports by donating new and gently-used sports equipment and monetary donations to benefit A Precious Child’s giveSPORTS program.

The giveSPORTS program provides new and gently-used sports equipment to disadvantaged and displaced children by allowing them the opportunity to get involved in organized sports. Additionally, giveSPORTS provides scholarships to cover the costs of registration and other sports-related fees. Nearly 75 percent of children in low-income families rarely have the opportunity to participate in organized sports. Statistically, participation in extra-curricular sports significantly impacts short and long-term educational, emotional, behavioral, and physical outcomes for disadvantaged, poverty stricken youth.

The initial event was held in the summer of 2012 after Jessica Ghawi, a former broadcast journalism intern with Altitude Sports & Entertainment, lost her life in the Aurora Theater Tragedy. Prior to her death, Jessica had expressed a desire to host a sports equipment drive for the children and families that had lost everything to the devastating Colorado wildfires. The giveSPORTS equipment drive was created by Kroenke Sports Charities and A Precious Child in partnership with Jessica’s family to help realize her dream and provide underprivileged children with the opportunity to play sports through the giveSPORTS program. Last year alone, the event brought in over 20,000 pieces of sports equipment and more than $14,000 in sports scholarships for local kids in need.

“We are relying on the community to help bring sports into the lives of Colorado children in need. This truly is a community effort,” said Carina Martin of A Precious Child. “Sports provide children with much more than an entry into healthy living. They enable kids to build confidence, learn teamwork, and challenge themselves to work for a greater outcome. Sports help kids build important life skills that encourage learning and growth,” she continued.

The community is invited to donate new and gently-used sports equipment, which will be distributed to disadvantaged and displaced children living in Colorado in order to provide them with the opportunity to participate in organized sports. Monetary donations are also being collected and will benefit A Precious Child and support the giveSPORTS scholarship fund, which covers the costs of registration and other sports-related fees for children in need. The event is a celebration of Jessica’s life, and many representatives from the local sports teams will be in attendance to help thank the individuals and families donating equipment and funds to the cause.

Community members are also encouraged to be a part of the Corporate and Team Challenge taking place from August 8th – August 19th where teams have the opportunity to compete against each other to see who can raise the most equipment and/or funds to benefit giveSPORTS and to be eligible to win great team prizes. More information on the Corporate and Team Challenge can be found at www.APreciousChild.org/programs/givesports.

All donations are tax deductible. More information can be found at APreciousChild.org. All involved parties look forward to another successful year of helping to “Put A Kid In The Game!”

About Kroenke Sports Charities- Kroenke Sports Charities is committed to improving lives through the spirit and power of sports. We strive to serve our community through education, health and fitness initiatives, athletic programs, and direct aid, with the particular purpose of helping families, children, veterans, and the disabled. Kroenke Sports Charities provides relevant programs and support, directly and with other nonprofit organizations, to ultimately assist, encourage, and enrich the lives of those in need.

About A Precious Child, Inc. - A Precious Child is a 501c3 nonprofit organization devoted to making a positive impact in the lives of disadvantaged and displaced children and families in Colorado by improving their quality of life. Programs include Precious Essentials, Precious Boutiques, Basics 4 Babies, giveSPORTS, Fill A Backpack, Precious Gift, Truancy Intervention and The Learning Center. A Precious Child provides impoverished Colorado children and families with basic essentials such as clothing, shoes, baby food, diapers, coats, backpacks and school supplies, sports equipment, holiday gifts, and more. Over the last six years, A Precious Child has provided clothing and essentials valued at over $4.25 million to more than 114,900 children and their caregivers who are struggling during these difficult economic times in eight counties surrounding the Denver Metro area, including: Arapahoe, Adams, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson, and Weld Counties. For more information, call our Resource Center at 303.466.4272, or visit APreciousChild.org.