With a strong dedication across the organization to community service, 76ers General Manager Elton Brand, and President of Business Operations Chris Heck tipped off the 76ers’ celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day at Girard College. The effort was part of the 24th annual Greater Philadelphia MLK Day of Service. Brand and Heck were two of the more-than-150,000 residents from around the area who volunteered their time on Jan. 21 to honor the legacy of Dr. King.
Brand and Heck attended the Girard College volunteer project alongside members of the Sixers Dunk Squad, presented by Dunkin’ Donuts, and United States Senator Bob Casey, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, Philadelphia City Council President Darrell Clarke, and many more.
Following the MLK Day of Service, the 76ers continued their celebration of Dr. King at the game later that night. The night’s activities were highlighted with Dr. William Tucker ringing the ceremonial bell before the game in front of more than 20,000 fans.
Dr. Tucker is the President of the Philadelphia Martin Luther King Jr. Association for Nonviolence. The Association is the only affiliate commissioned by Coretta Scott King and the Martin Luther King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, Inc.
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Throughout the game, other community leaders who live out the legacy of Dr. King were honored on-court, including the founder and director of the Martin Luther King Day of Service, Todd Bernstein. Bernstein was the recipient of the night’s Game Changer Award, presented by Firstrust Bank.
Dr. King’s legacy is also connected to his service as a mentor to those around him. Aligning with his dedication to mentorship, the 76ers honored Walk In My Shoes mentee Gianni Steele as the Strong Kid of the Game, presented by The Rothenberg Law Firm. Steele has been matched with Mike Muscala for a season-long mentoring engagement. In addition to the on-court recognitions, several videos highlighting Dr. King’s lasting legacy and impact were shown on the in-arena video boards. One video challenged all fans in attendance to pledge their commitment to volunteerism and register to serve at serve.phila.gov.
The 76ers’ commit year-round to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s strong belief in volunteerism. Each year, all 76ers staff members dedicate at least 76 hours to volunteer service in our local communities. Last year alone, 76ers staff members volunteered more than 10,000 hours as an organization.