February 15, 2006

Bruce Bowen Receives Community Assist Award

In recognition of Bruce Bowen’s outstanding efforts in the community, and for his on-going philanthropic work, the NBA announced today it has honored the San Antonio Spurs forward with the Community Assist Award for January. This is the second time Bowen has won the award.

Bowen’s “Get Fit with Bruce & Buddy” program, which encourages local children to be active and eat well for life, is in its second season. As part of the program that he created in a public relations class in the spring of 2004, Bruce holds monthly Get Fit with Bruce & Buddy events and he also purchases four lower level Spurs season tickets for two specially selected kids known as “Bruce’s Buddies” to use every home game. Bruce meets with the children and their parents before the game to talk to them about the benefits of a healthy and fit lifestyle.

This month, the program, which continues to expand, tipped off the Get Fit with Bruce & Buddy Healthy Family Challenge. This new element of the program encourages families and schools to have students walk or run 25 miles before March 1. After completing this challenge, the students will receive an invitation to join Bowen and H-E-B Grocery mascot H-E-Buddy, as they run and walk one last mile. In addition, H-E-B Grocery and the Spurs are hosting a competition for schools to participate in the Healthy Family Challenge to win cash prizes that will be applied to their physical education programs.

In addition to his fitness program, Bowen also has the Bruce Bowen Foundation, which provides scholarships and tuition and helps those less fortunate. Run by Bowen and his mother, the Foundation’s major event is a basketball skills camp which Bruce organizes. The camp provides instruction free of charge for youth in Fresno, Calif., where Bowen grew up. Another major program of the Foundation is to provide college scholarships for high school students.

Bowen is also involved in a number of other activities that benefit the community, including:

Serving as the honorary spokesperson for the Taco Cabana Spurs Learning Centers initiative, which will provide $10,000 worth of teaching aides (computers, books, supplies, etc.) to a minimum of five San Antonio area schools. Bowen created television and radio spots and attended a press conference to promote the program in the month of January.

  • The Spurs organization has a long-standing commitment to support the men and women serving in the military. On January 21 Bowen, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich and Spurs guard Tony Parker visited with wounded soldiers, their families and the medical staff at Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston.

  • On January 26 Bruce spoke with 30 kids ranging in ages from 12 through 17 who are being held at the Bexar County Juvenile Detention Center for various offenses. The kids earned the visit with Bruce through good behavior and during his visit, Bowen stressed that there were still many opportunities to for them to succeed.

  • Bruce joined Curious George for a surprise visit to a second grade class at Big Country Elementary School in San Antonio on January 27 as a reward for being the grand prize winner in the High Five Readers Challenge. The Spurs forward read “Curious George Goes to School” while wearing the official big yellow hat. Bowen talked about the importance of developing a lifelong reading through fun and learning.

    As the recipient of the NBA Community Assist Award, Bowen will receive the David Robinson Plaque with the inscription, “Following the standard set by NBA Legend David Robinson who improved the community piece by piece.” In addition to the plaque, a $5,000 gift will be given to Bowen’s foundation to assist his programs.

    The league presents the NBA Community Assist Award monthly to recognize players for their charitable efforts. The award honors the NBA player who reflects the passion the league and its players have for their communities. Other nominees for January included Jamal Crawford (New York Knicks), Richard “Rip” Hamilton (Detroit Pistons), LeBron James and Eric Snow (Cleveland Cavaliers), Bo Outlaw (Orlando Magic), and Jamaal Tinsley (Indiana Pacers).

    NBA Cares is the league's global community outreach initiative that builds on the NBA's long tradition of addressing important social issues. Over the next five years, the league, players and teams will raise and contribute $100 million for charity, donate more than 1 million hours of hands-on volunteer service to communities around the world, and build more than 100 places where kids can learn and play. NBA Cares will work with internationally-recognized youth-serving programs that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes including: UNICEF; Reading Is Fundamental; Boys and Girls Clubs of America; Charities Aid Foundation; American/International Red Cross; Feed the Children, and many others.