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LAREDO (June 1, 2023) –&nbsp;For the first time ever, the San Antonio Spurs announced that they are partnering with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Laredo (BGC of Laredo) to host Spurs Youth Basketball League in all three of their locations this summer. Presented by Pizza Hut, the league begins on Tuesday, June 20,&nbsp;and will run for six weeks on weekdays.&nbsp;Registration is now open to Laredo youth and volunteer coaches at&nbsp;bgcsports.com. As part of registration, each athlete will receive a SYBL jersey. Registered coaches will receive special training to learn new tools and help foster a positive learning environment for each athlete.

“The Spurs Youth Basketball League embodies the core values of our Boys and Girls Club, so the partnering of our organizations to support the community makes great sense,” said George Beckelhymer, President of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Laredo. “Our board and staff are committed to continually bring increased programming and offerings to the girls and boys of our Clubs.”&nbsp;

Spurs Youth Basketball League is open to incoming kindergarteners to fifth graders and will teach athletes fundamental skill development, such as shooting, passing, ball-handling and defensive training by local registered volunteer coaches. Athletes will also have a chance to connect with friends and learn how to use sports to lead healthier lives in an environment that promotes a sense of belonging.&nbsp;

“After hosting a successful Spurs Youth Basketball League clinic in Laredo last December, our team wanted to bring a fun summer opportunity to local youth with access to basketball and safe spaces to play,” said Dr. Kara Allen, Chief Impact Officer for Spurs Sports & Entertainment. “This summer league will give over 300 children in Laredo unforgettable memories and a chance to develop their basketball skills.”&nbsp;

The BGC of Laredo provides a safe place for children to learn and grow, ongoing relationships with caring adult professionals, life-enhancing programs and character development experiences, as well as hope and opportunity for children in the Laredo community.&nbsp;

“We are excited to bring this incredible youth sports league to our Clubs in Laredo,” said Robert Eads, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Laredo. “Our collaboration with Spurs Youth Basketball League aligns with our continued commitment to deliver meaningful programming to local youth.”&nbsp;

As a Spurs Youth Basketball League and BGC of Laredo athlete, children must pledge to:

The Boys & Girls Club of Laredo's mission is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens.

We are a family - a team - passionate about sports. We are passionate about what sports can do for our community - especially our youth. At the heart of it, we believe sports can provide a family with a common goal, and a hope for a better future. We are Spurs Give - the official 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of Spurs Sports & Entertainment. Since our founding in 1988, we have invested $32 million in our community. Through our players' passions, our grants, and our impact programs, we are changing lives and leaving a lasting impact. You give. We give. Spurs Give.

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SAN ANTONIO SPURS BRING THE SPURS YOUTH BASKETBALL LEAGUE TO THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF LAREDO

SAN ANTONIO (April 4, 2023) –&nbsp;In celebration of Spurs Week in Austin, Spurs Give and the Austin Parks Foundation (APF) are donating nearly $500,000 to launch “Play ATX,” a multi-year program dedicated to renovating parks and basketball courts throughout the city of Austin. To tip off the program, a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at Dove Springs District Park to unveil a newly renovated basketball court on Tuesday, April 4. Following the ceremony, a basketball clinic will be held with 50 youth athletes from nearby schools.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We are so excited and grateful to partner with the Spurs for this special program,” said Colin Wallis, CEO of Austin Parks Foundation. “Our Parks & Recreation Department is severely underfunded and partnerships like this help amplify our work and allow us to make much-needed improvements to our city’s parks. Outdoor activities, such as playing basketball, are so important, not only to foster a sense of community but for the tremendous physical and mental health benefits.”&nbsp;

Spurs Give and APF are working in partnership with the City of Austin and Austin Parks and Recreation Department to create safe play spaces and foster active lifestyles for families by rebuilding, refurbishing and updating community parks and basketball courts. Improvements to the basketball court at Dove Springs District Park include resurfacing and restriping the court, replacing the goals, and new benches and lights.&nbsp;

“Through creative collaboration and teamwork with Austin Parks Foundation and the Spurs, the newly refurbished basketball court is a wonderful addition to Dove Springs District Park,” said Austin Parks and Recreation’s Director Kimberly McNeeley. “Thank you to our partners who worked closely with the Parks and Recreation Department and community to make this court a reality.”&nbsp;

Play ATX is an expansion of the Spurs Give program “Play SA,” which began in San Antonio in 2020. The San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department and Spurs Give teamed up with a goal of renovating parks most in need in each of the city's 10 districts. Projects have ranged from revamped basketball courts to a skate park to upgraded playgrounds. Play SA is in its third year and has completed 11 renovations.

“At SS&E we invest our time and resources in building leaders and legacies both on and off the court,” said Dr. Kara Allen, Chief Impact Officer for Spurs Sports & Entertainment. “We’re honored to get to do this work in Austin with incredible partners like the Austin Parks and Recreation Department who, like us, understand the importance of safe spaces for children and families to heal and play.”

For 30 years, Austin Parks Foundation (APF) has been connecting people and parks. APF is dedicated to partnering with our community to enhance people’s lives by improving our public parks, trails and green spaces through volunteerism, innovative programming, advocacy and financial support. APF’s goal is to improve Austin’s parks by building community through our parks with people at the forefront of our work.

APF’s programming and strategic vision are aimed at helping to fill the funding and resource gap for our parks, and we strive to ensure that every Austinite has access to well-kept parks, trails and green spaces no matter their neighborhood.

APF’s community-initiated grants have distributed nearly $4 million since 2006, and the group’s annual flagship volunteer event, It’s My Park Day, results in an average of $650,000 in volunteer labor each year. APF is a presenting partner and beneficiary of the Austin City Limits Music Festival at Zilker Metropolitan Park and empowers neighbors all over the city to create a parks system that serves their needs. For more information, please visit&nbsp;www.austinparks.org.

About City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department

Austin Parks and Recreation seeks to inspire our community to learn, play, protect and connect by creating diverse programs and experiences in sustainable natural spaces and public places. This City of Austin Department protects and maintains parkland, urban forest, and trails as well as offering sports, recreation, educational enrichment, arts programs, cultural opportunities, and nature and aquatic activities for Austinites. For more information visit AustinTexas.gov/Parks

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SPURS GIVE LAUNCHES ‘PLAY ATX’ FOCUSED ON RENOVATING COMMUNITY PLAY SPACES IN AUSTIN

SAN ANTONIO (March 29, 2023)&nbsp;– The San Antonio Spurs teamed up with Ashley to donate and deliver brand-new furniture to Youth Center of Texas (YCOT), a residential facility providing holistic support to survivors of child sex trafficking yesterday, March 28. Earlier this month, YCOT staff hand-selected the furniture with their residents’ needs in mind during a shopping trip to Ashley, an official Spurs partner. Spurs players Tre Jones and Doug McDermott helped deliver new furniture items including eight beds and mattresses, a kitchen table, dressers and more, and spent the day getting to know the residents. They joined the residents in potting plants and decorating the pots for added decoration throughout the facility.

YCOT was founded in December 2019 to provide a safe transition home to victims of child sex trafficking, many of whom have never had a home. Since its inception, YCOT has successfully provided immediate physical and emotional care for hundreds of survivors, including access to on-site trauma-informed counseling, legal advocacy, case management and financial literacy classes. In 2022 alone, YCOT provided services to more than 100 survivors.

“We are forever grateful to the San Antonio Spurs and Ashley for investing in these young women and their futures and for supporting our vision to end the generational cycle of childhood sexual exploitation by promoting community awareness and collaboration, and to restore hope and dignity for all survivors,” said Adriana McKinnon, President & CEO of YCOT.

As part of the furniture store’s “Purchase with Purpose” program, Ashley is partnering with the Spurs to meet YCOT’s needs. With every purchase made at Ashley, a donation is made to a community organization. The program brings purpose far beyond a simple sofa, bed or room refresh to each customer’s purchase.

“Our commitment to working with partners like the San Antonio Spurs towards well-being for those who need it most is unwavering,” said Meagan Miller, Senior Manager of Experience Marketing at Ashley HomeStore. “It is an honor to work with local charities like YCOT, who are on the frontlines working tirelessly to enhance and strengthen the lives of survivors.”

“The support and services that YCOT provides for its residents is truly awe-inspiring,” said Dr. Kara Allen, Chief Impact Officer for Spurs Sports & Entertainment. “We’re honored that, through our partnership with Ashley, we can champion the work YCOT is leading to protect and empower survivors. We hope the new furniture will help provide a small sense of home and comfort to survivors as they heal within YCOT’s safe spaces.”

Ashley is the nation’s largest supplier and retailer of furniture and mattresses with more than 1,000 retail showrooms worldwide. Like many Ashley locations, the four San Antonio-area locations are independently owned and operated with each store committed to giving back to the communities they serve. Among its national initiatives, Ashley established the Purchase with Purpose program to serve others and support the community at all levels of the organization. Purchase with Purpose creates the feeling of home, empowers worldwide healing, and brings life-changing love and hope to people who truly need it. For many years, Ashley has partnered with sports and community partners to bless people locally and globally. Through our Purchase with Purpose initiative, we want to be a blessing to the community and enact positive change through outreach and service.

We are a family - a team - passionate about sports. We are passionate about what sports can do for our community - especially our youth. At the heart of it, we believe sports can provide a family with a common goal, and a hope for a better future. We are Spurs Give - the official 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of Spurs Sports & Entertainment. Since our founding in 1988, we have invested $32 million in our community. Through our players' passions, our grants, and our impact programs, we are changing lives and leaving a lasting impact. You give. We give. Spurs Give.&nbsp;

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SAN ANTONIO SPURS BRING THE SPURS YOUTH BASKETBALL LEAGUE TO THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF LAREDO

SPURS GIVE LAUNCHES ‘PLAY ATX’ FOCUSED ON RENOVATING COMMUNITY PLAY SPACES IN AUSTIN

SAN ANTONIO SPURS AND ASHLEY HOMESTORE DELIVER NEW FURNITURE TO YOUTH CENTER OF TEXAS