Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton has received the December NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente, the league announced today. The award recognizes an NBA player each month who best reflects the passion the league and its players share for giving back to their communities. In December, Middleton brightened the holiday season for youth and families in Wisconsin, South Carolina and Louisiana through his “12 Days of Khrismas” initiative.
During “12 Days of Khrismas” Middleton participated in 12 different acts of service with various people and community organizations. In Milwaukee, Middleton surprised single mothers with a full-service spa day, provided a makeover for a classroom at Milwaukee Environmental Science Academy, gave gift bags to teachers at Hawthorne Elementary School and bought moving supplies for a local small business. He also hosted a private screening of “The Grinch” with local youth in foster care, held a holiday shopping spree with Big Brothers Big Sisters and hosted more than 200 students from Milwaukee Public Schools’ Black and Latino Male Achievement program at a Bucks game in December.
Middleton also bought Walmart gift cards for all St. James-Santee Elementary School Head Start program families in Charleston, S.C., and donated $5,000 to The First Tee of Mansfield, a non-profit organization that teaches golf to children of color at Louisiana’s only black-owned course in Shreveport, La., as part of the “12 Days of Khrismas.”
“I love everything about Christmas; the food, the 24/7 family time, watching someone you care about open the perfect present, and ‘12 Days of Khrismas’ allowed me to spread that energy throughout all my communities,” said Middleton. “In the month of December, it was my ultimate mission to find and honor the special people in my cities and provide them with experiences they would never forget.”
Kaiser Permanente and the NBA will also donate $10,000 on Middleton’s behalf to the Carolina Youth Development Center. Middleton will be presented with his award by NBA Cares Ambassador and former Buck Bob Lanier during an on-court ceremony prior to tonight’s game against the Charlotte Hornets at Fiserv Forum.
Throughout his time in Milwaukee, Middleton’s commitment to the community has gone beyond the month of December and “12 Days of Khrismas.” Middleton has formed a relationship with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee (BBBS) where he’s hosted Thanksgiving dinners, holiday shopping sprees and basketball clinics. He’s also donated more than 330 tickets to the organization and participated in events focused on building bonds between Bigs and Littles of BBBS.