The Atlanta Hawks celebrated Jr. NBA Week by announcing additional support for one of the nation’s fastest-growing and most successful youth wheelchair basketball programs in the Southeast, according to a news release.
Athletes ages 7 to 18 can participate in BlazeSports America’s Jr. Hawks Wheelchair Basketball program, which is part of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association, according to the release.
About 50 athletes, coaches and parents were invited to Thursday night’s final preseason game against the Miami Heat. In the third quarter, Jon Babul, the Hawks’ vice president of basketball development, presented a $20,000 donation on behalf of the Atlanta Hawks Foundation to BlazeSports America and Executive Director Dawn Churi.
“We are honored to continue our fantastic partnership with BlazeSports America’s Jr. Hawks Wheelchair Basketball program by providing further resources to assist with items such as practice facility expenses, staff support, team uniforms, and equipment repair,” Babul said in the release. “Jr. NBA Week allows us to spotlight our partnership and to celebrate the importance of growth and development of youth athletes through the power of our sport.”
This is the seventh anniversary of Jr. NBA Week, when NBA teams and players join the youth basketball community in celebrating the impact basketball has on boys and girls on and off the court, the Hawks said in the release.
“We are extremely grateful to the Atlanta Hawks for their continued support of BlazeSports,” Churi said in the release. “It is partnerships such as theirs that allow us to offer life-changing opportunities to youth athletes through adaptive sports, and we are looking forward to helping many more athletes with their support.”
Click here to learn more about the Hawks’ work in the community.
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