ATLANTA -– Atlanta Hawk forward Justin Anderson is joining four other NBA players, collectively known as the ‘Starting 5,’ in launching the Hoops2o program to bring clean water to East African communities in need.
Starting 5 members:
- Justin Anderson, Atlanta Hawks
- Malcolm Brogdon, Milwaukee Bucks
- Joe Harris, Brooklyn Nets
- Garrett Temple, Memphis Grizzlies
- Anthony Tolliver, Minnesota Timberwolves
The mission of Hoops2o is to leverage the NBA platform to unite fans and players with a goal of raising funds and awareness to provide clean water to East African communities in desperate need. The Starting 5 have set the goal to raise $225,000 to fund five wells, one for each of the Starting 5 teams, by the end of the 2018-2019 NBA season.
Hoops2o emerged via the successful Waterboys initiative that was started by two-time Super Bowl Champion and Eagles defensive end Chris Long, and has flourished through the commitment of 29 NFL players since its founding in 2015. The collective impact model leverages the power of professional sports to more quickly and effectively address the world water crisis.
To kick off the Hoops2o program, the Starting 5 are asking fans to get involved by participating in the “Ballin’ for Buckets” campaign. Fans are encouraged to pledge a dollar amount per stat line for one of the Starting 5 players for the month of November on PledgeIt.org with the goal to raise $45,000 and fund the first Hoops2o well. Player stat tracking will begin on November 1, but fans can make a pledge now. Whether its points per game or 3-pointers, when a Starting 5 player performs on the court, it results in lives being changed. To learn more and make a pledge, fans are encouraged to visit www.hoops2o.org.
After traveling to Ghana and Malawi as a child and seeing the effects of poverty, the NBA founder of Hoops2o Malcolm Brogdon was driven to make a difference in Africa and use his platform to provide solutions for suffering communities.
“I saw from a very young age the value of clean water in communities in Africa,” said Malcolm Brogdon, founder Hoops2o. “I made a promise to myself that once I reached a time and place in my career where I could do more, I would. When I learned about Chris’ Waterboys initiative and saw their accomplishments by working as a team of players to inspire action, I knew I wanted to expand his vision into the NBA and address our ultimate shared goal to save more lives faster and transform communities.
All funds raised through the Hoops2o program will go towards the building of solar paneled, sustainable deep borehole wells in communities in East Africa. Each well comes with a price tag of $45,000 and provides water for up to 7,500 people, meaning that a donation of as little as six dollars can save a life.
“I’ve always known that Waterboys had the potential to be bigger than any one league,” said Waterboys Founder Chris Long. “I’m honored that our work is expanding into the NBA and I couldn’t be more excited about what this will mean for our neighbors who lack access to a fundamental resource. I’m confident that working together as a united front, the NFL’s Waterboys and the NBA’s Starting 5 will bring us one step closer to providing water to one million people.”
To learn more about the Hoops20 mission to transform communities through the gift of clean water visit www.hoops2o.org.
For more information, media should contact Nicole Woodie at (786) 863-7096 or Nicole@ChrisLongFoundation.org.