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The Spurs Care…
THE SPURS FOUNDATION
The non-profit 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 projects and programs that inspire and motivate young people to engage in positive activities, take their education seriously, develop sound values and responsible behavior, set goals, visualize their dreams and take responsibility for their own lives. Since its inception, the Spurs Foundation has donated more than $12 million in cash and in-kind donations to deserving South Texas children. The Spurs Foundation’s volunteer board includes fans, community leaders, former Spurs players and representatives from the corporate and civic sectors.
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 Tip-Off Luncheon presented by Southwest Airlines 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. Annually, proceeds from fundraising efforts enable the Spurs Foundation to:
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT THROUGH The San Antonio Spurs are strongly committed to supporting a quality education for our community’s children and the workforce of tomorrow. Incentive-based programs award more than 235,000 rewards that teachers use as motivators to support school curriculum and to promote academic success, character development and most importantly reading and literacy. Read to Achieve In San Antonio, the Spurs implement Read to Achieve through educational programming, read aloud events with Spurs players and coaches, and free book donations. For the ninth year, third, fourth and fifth graders will have the opportunity to participate in the Spurs Slam Dunk Reading Challenge presented by IBC. This reading competition allows students to win Spurs and Rampage game tickets, or the grand prize--a Spurs player hosting a read aloud event for their class. Tim Duncan’s Character program, now in its sixth 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. San Antonio middle schoolers will again have the opportunity to take Pop’s Quiz for Good Readers. 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. In its 12th 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. For the 11th year, Texas Jeep Dealers, the Spurs and Tony Parker will hold a creative writing contest for elementary students with Tony as the final judge. More than 2,000 students will reap reading rewards through the High Five Readers program, presented by SACU, Ashley Furniture HomeStore, 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. Another group of young San Antonians will “Get Fit” with Bruce & Buddy this season. Spurs forward Bruce Bowen, H-E-B, and the Spurs Foundation are teaming up for a fourth year to recognize 3,000 students in grades pre-K through 8th who practice healthy lifestyle behaviors by making sound choices when it comes to nutrition and fitness, in addition to influencing their families’ lifestyles. Bruce meets two buddies before every game.
For the 16th year, the Spurs and CPS 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 free 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 3rd year, awards San Antonio area students for their achievement in perfect attendance. 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 2008: 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 18th successful season, the Spurs Drug-Free 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 20,000 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 in a drug-free and safe environment. The non-school eight-week league targets youth ranging in age from 5-16 from less affluent city neighborhoods. Spurs Drug-Free League basketball teams play at 75 locations, and are supported by 40 organizations throughout South Texas. The Spurs Drug-Free League is a member of the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA program. Spurs Night Hoops returns for a fifth year. This basketball league, for boys and girls 13-17 years of age, is conducted on Friday and Saturday evenings and is sponsored by the Spurs Foundation. Volunteer coaches receive special training on how to talk to players about drugs, alcohol and tobacco in order to convey anti-use messages as well as life skills messages to players throughout the course of the basketball season. Spurs and Silver Stars Basketball Camps, sponsored by FSN Southwest and Gatorade, will return in the summer of 2008. 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 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 Coordinator, One AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX 78219, or 210-444-5875. All donation requests must be completed 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 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 Appearance Coordinator, 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 Wives Organization, dubbed the “Spurs Home Court”, has raised and donated more than $340,000 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. 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 302,000 hours of hands-on service to the community, raised more than $50 million for charity, and created 171 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. |
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 succeed in school, when we have an educated workforce, when families are strengthened, when we embrace diversity, when neighborhoods are safe, when there is affordable housing, when we connect people and resources, and when everyone takes the time and responsibility to make our community an even better place to learn, live and work. 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!
