The Lakers "A Season of Giving" presented by East West Bank, is a comprehensive series of community outreach events that allow the Lakers and their fans to share in the joy of the holiday season. The first event in this year's "A Season of Giving" was a Thanksgiving Celebration for active duty Marines and Navy personnel at Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que in Torrance, California. Lakers players Luke Walton, Steve Blake and Devin Ebanks were joined by Lakers Legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and AC Green, and the Laker Girls to serve food and visit with their guests.
The guests at this year's Thanksgiving Celebration came from distant outposts to meet and eat with the Lakers. Marines from the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, California and staff from the Naval Hospital at Camp Pendleton and the Naval Medical Center in San Diego arrived at Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que in their military uniforms, where they first had a chance to meet and take photos with a relatively new member of the Lakers family: the 2010 Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy. Once everyone had a chance to pose with the trophy, the guests were seated and the Lakers and Laker Girls made welcoming remarks. AC Green best captured everyone's sentiments when he spoke of all Lakers fans as being part of a larger Lakers family and thus the perfect guests for a Thanksgiving meal.
Then it was time to meet the real star of the evening: the delicious food. The Lakers and Laker Girls worked together to serve their guests with generously portioned plates of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie. With each delivery, the Lakers and Laker Girls took a moment to stop and chat with their guests. After everyone had eaten their fill, the Lakers and Laker Girls took the time to circulate throughout the room to sign autographs, pose for pictures, and visit with the Marines and Navy personnel.
Food and good cheer were not the only things the Lakers brought to the Thanksgiving Celebration. Each guest was also entered into a raffle for Lakers prizes, including the grand prize: a basketball autographed by the 2009-2010 NBA Championship team. Guest who had been unlucky in the raffle did not leave empty handed. Each guest received a Lakers goodie bag and cozy East West Bank blanket to enjoy on their ride home!
The Lakers extend their thanks to East West Bank for their continued support of "A Season of Giving" and to Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que for their warm hospitality. The Lakers deepest thanks go out to our nation's servicemen and women, and especially to those Marines and Navy personnel who made the 2010 Lakers "A Season of Giving" Thanksgiving Celebration such a wonderful evening. View 2010-11 "A Season of Giving" Photo Gallery