SPURS ASSISTING THE COMMUNITY
It remains our hope that the community will be better tomorrow for the investment we all make today.  For this reason we believe that a great basketball club is more than a collection of superb athletes-it is a partner with its community, solving problems, creating opportunities and enhancing the quality of life.  We all benefit when kids are inspired to succeed in school, when we have an educated workforce, when families are strengthened, when we embrace diversity, when neighborhoods are safe, and when we connect people and resources, to make our community as strong and healthy as it can be.  We are honored to be friends and neighbors with our South Texas community and are proud to have so many supporters who have joined us in our mission.  For every assist on the court, the Spurs try to make twice as many in the community.  That stat makes the entire organization proud!

Community Outreach

• Since its inception in 1988, the nonprofit Spurs Foundation has donated more than $13 million in cash and in-kind contributions to deserving south Texas youth through organizations that provide educational, recreational and medical needs.
• Spurs players, coaches, front office personnel, Silver Dancers, Coyote and NBA legend and former Spurs great, George Gervin make more than 1,000 appearances in the community each year.
• Annually, the Spurs and Spurs Foundation support more than 1,500 area organizations with in-kind or cash contributions.  In-kind donations (tickets, autographed memorabilia, appearances, etc.) are used to raise thousands of dollars for charitable causes in the San Antonio area.
• The Spurs’ many educational outreach programs address those issues rated most important by local teaching professionals:  character education, student literacy and writing, mathematics, nutrition and fitness, student motivation and teacher recognition.
• More than 165,000 incentives, which include books, game tickets, certificates, posters, scholarships, t-shirts, and player visits are distributed through the Spurs education programs each season to inspire a multitude of student achievements.  All incentives are free to the schools!
• The Spurs Wives organization (dba Spurs Home Court) has raised and donated more than $410,000 for various area charities through the sale of calendars.
• Each year, Spurs players purchase season tickets for the sole purpose of ensuring that underserved area youth and families have the opportunity to attend a Spurs game and experience the excitement of professional basketball.

THE SPURS FOUNDATION

The Spurs Foundation was created in 1988 to support physically, emotionally and economically disadvantaged youth in South Texas.  Funded solely by fundraisers and donations, the Foundation uses its resources to fund:

• Educational and recreational youth programs that inspire, impact and motivate young people to engage in positive activities.

• Programs that inhibit the incidence of risk-related behavior.

• Programs that promote the healthy development of young children.

• Incentives that inspire student students to read, write, succeed in school, take their education seriously, develop sound values and responsible behavior, visualize their dreams and make positive, responsible choices. 

In addition to corporate and individual donations, three major annual fundraisers support the Spurs Foundation:  the Spurs Scramble Golf Tournament presented by IKON Office Solutions, the Spurs Fast Break 5K & Catch the Coyote 1 Mile Run/Walk/Roll and the Tux ‘N Tennies Dinner and Auction presented by Southwest Business Corporation.  Spurs team and coaching staff participate in all three of these events. 

Through our fundraising efforts, we are committed to inspiring the community one child at a time by: 

• Teaming up with the Tim Duncan Foundation to recognize and reward 3,000 children who demonstrate character values through Tim Duncan’s Character program.

• Ensuring that more than 25,000 youth participate in the Spurs Youth Basketball League, a non-school league with the message of success through positive choices, presented by Pizza Hut and Valero.

• Granting funds to area non-profits which have strategic relevance to the Spurs Foundation's mission of improving the quality of life for children in need.

• In partnership with the Spurs Wives/Girlfriends (dba Spurs Home Court), producing and selling calendars and annually donating proceeds to area charities.

• Donating more than 30,000 Spurs, Rampage and Silver Stars tickets to underserved area youth, families and area charities and through school-based student incentive programs.

• Funding  scholarships to deserving area youth.

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT THROUGH
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING & RECOGNITION

The San Antonio Spurs are strongly committed to assisting our teachers to provide a quality education for their students in the classroom so they are prepared for success in life. Incentive-based programs award more than 165,000 rewards that teachers use as motivators to support school curriculum and to promote academic success, character development, reading and literacy.

Read to Achieve
The NBA’s Read to Achieve program is a year-round campaign to help young people develop a life-long love for reading and encourage adults to read regularly with children.  Reaching an estimated 50 million children a year, Read to Achieve is the most extensive educational outreach initiative in the history of professional sports.

In San Antonio, the Spurs implement Read to Achieve through educational programming, read aloud events with Spurs players and coaches, and free book donations.

Tim Duncan’s Character program, now in its seventh year, will reward more than 3,000 children for demonstrating core character traits such as integrity, respect, dependability, fairness, caring and civic responsibility.  The prizes are plentiful and range from tickets and t-shirts to notebooks and pencil packs, provided by the Tim Duncan Foundation and the Spurs Foundation.

Returning for the 2nd year, Manu’s Math Minutes presented by Eyemasters is a program designed to help sixth through eighth grade students develop and practice their math skills.  By successfully completing brief daily exercises, a class can enter to win an appearance from Manu Ginobili at their school!

SWBC, the Spurs Foundation and Tony Parker will again hold an elementary school creative writing contest called “Paw Prints” with Tony as the final judge.  The winning class will enjoy a visit from Tony at their school.

San Antonio middle schoolers will again have the opportunity to take LOGOS: Pop’s Quiz for Good Readers presented by IKON Office Solutions.  This vocabulary challenge, for seventh and eighth grade students in San Antonio, promotes reading and vocabulary development.  Many of the words used in this contest reflect Coach Popovich’s coaching philosophy of determination and hard work--words like tenacious and resolute, dauntless and resilient, intrepid and persevering.

For the tenth year, students will have the opportunity to participate in the Slam Dunk Reading Challenge presented by IBC. This reading competition allows sixth, seventh, and eighth graders to win Spurs and Rampage game tickets, or the grand prize--a Spurs player hosting a read aloud event for their class.

In its thirteenth year, the Spurs and Whataburger will celebrate elementary students’ reading achievements with the distribution of more than 25,000 What’cha Reading Certificates that are inclusive of a free Justaburger Kid’s meal and more.

More than 2,000 students will reap reading rewards through the High Five Readers program, presented by SACU, Magic 105.3 and Luby’s.  The program encourages 1st-5th grade students to spend more of their free time reading and promotes reading aloud to younger students to help them develop good reading habits. 

The Spurs and Mrs Baird’s have teamed up again to offer the Mrs Baird’s Writing Contest, which encourages 1st- 3rd grade students to utilize their creativity and their writing skills.  The winning class will host an event with one of the Spurs players.

For the seventeenth year, the Spurs and CPS Energy will recognize outstanding San Antonio area teachers through the Spurs/CPS Energy Teacher of the Game. Honorees will be those who have a profound and lasting effect on their students, who have a passion and gift for teaching, and who go beyond the call of duty to ensure their students succeed in school and are prepared for future success in life. 

The Spurs and Whataburger will again induct hardworking San Antonio area middle school students who display good citizenship and strive to do their best in and out of the classroom into the Spurs/Whataburger Winners’ Circle.  This program awards Spurs tickets, in-game recognition and a meal from Whataburger to a middle school student at each Spurs home game.

The Spurrfect Attendance Program, now in its fourth year, awards San Antonio area students for perfect attendance at school.  The Spurrfect Attendance program is a year-round program that stresses the importance of attending school everyday and is recognized in nearly 20 areas school districts.

Local high school scholars to benefit from Spurs Foundation Scholarships awarded in spring 2009:  The $3,000 Angelo Drossos Memorial Scholarship, the $3,000 Colonel Maury Holden Memorial Scholarship, the $3,000 Craig Martin Memorial Scholarship, the $8,500 Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood Annual Scholarship and ten $1,000 CPS Energy/Spurs Foundation Bright Light Scholarships.

GROWING HEALTHIER KIDS THROUGH POSITIVE RECREATION

In its nineteenth successful season, the Spurs Youth Basketball League presented by Pizza Hut and Valero and created by Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich and Kids Sports Network Founder Frank Martin, will engage more than 25,000 South Texas youth in a positive basketball experience where participants learn not only to play basketball and improve their athletic skills but also learn the importance of team work, cooperation, respect, sportsmanship, fair play and discipline safe environment.  The non-school eight-week league targets youth ranging in age from 5-16.  Spurs Youth Basketball League teams play at more than 80 different locations, and are supported by 40 organizations throughout South Texas.   The Spurs Youth Basketball League is a member of the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA program.

Spurs and Silver Stars Basketball Camps, sponsored by Gatorade, Academy Sports & Outdoors, and YMCA of Greater San Antonio, will return in the summer of 2009.  These highly popular camps focus on basketball fundamentals and the Spurs’ and Stars’ winning ways and “team” attitudes.  For more information or a camp brochure, call the Camp Hotline at 210-444-5022.

REACHING OUT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

The Spurs Wives Organization, dubbed the “Spurs Home Court”, has raised and donated more than $410,000 via calendar sales, to area local nonprofit organizations over the past several years.  The Home Court is comprised of player and coaching staff wives, girlfriends and mothers.

The San Antonio Spurs and the Spurs Foundation are committed to supporting the community far beyond basketball and are proud of the more than 1,800 donations made each year.  To request a donation, please submit your request via the On-Line Donation Request Form found in the “Community” section on www.spurs.com.  You may also download this form and mail or fax to Donations Manager, One AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX  78219, or 210-444-5875.  All donation requests must be submitted at least four weeks prior to the event date.  Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Each year, the Spurs family makes more than 1,000 community appearances.  Spurs players, former players, coaches, Coyote, Silver Dancers and members of management annually attend a host of community events including school functions, children’s hospital visits, nonprofit events and fundraising benefits.  To request a Spurs representative at your event, please submit your request via the On-Line Appearance Request Form found in the “Community” section on www.spurs.com.  You may also download this form and mail or fax to Talent Resources Manager, One AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX  78219, or 210-444-5875.  Requests should be made at least four weeks prior to the event and include all information concerning the event.

The Spurs Wheelchair Basketball Team, a member of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA), performs at select halftimes of Spurs home games each season.  The team competes throughout Texas and the U.S. and functions as a physical and emotional rehabilitation source.  The team, comprised of individuals ages 15 to 55, is a nonprofit organization, and their funding comes from individual and corporate supporters including the Spurs Foundation.  For information on joining the team, hosting a speaker, or to make a donation, please call 210-444-5865.

NBA Cares is the league's social responsibility initiative that builds on the NBA's long tradition of addressing important social issues in the United States and around the world. Launched in October of 2005, NBA Cares, through the teams, current and former players, and the league office, has contributed 660,000 hours of hands-on volunteer service to the community, raised more than $88 million for charity, and built more than 310 places where kids and families can live, learn or play. NBA Cares works with internationally-recognized youth-serving programs that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes, including: UNICEF; Reading Is Fundamental; Habitat for Humanity; Boys & Girls Clubs of America; Feed the Children; Special Olympics; KaBOOM!; Make-A-Wish Foundation; and many others.