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Families, Parks and Recreation
Press
Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact:
Heather Allebaugh 407.246.3423
Victoria Shade 407.246.4318
The Orlando Magic
Renovate Reading and Learning Center at Northwest
Community Center
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WHAT: |
Children’s faces reflected upon
the golden globe that rests at the pinnacle of
the Larry O’Brien Trophy as they gathered at the
base of a podium in the gymnasium of Orlando’s
Northwest Community Center to hear NBA Legends
and influential sports business leaders speak.
The trophy is the tangible reward named
after the one-time NBA Commissioner and it is
presented to the NBA Champion at the culmination
of each NBA postseason.
But while the
Orlando Magic are in earnest pursuit of the
NBA’s highest accolade, the team has not lost
sight of its off-the-court commitments to the
youth of Orlando.
The latest in a series
of urban Orlando reading and learning centers to
be renovated by the Orlando Magic, the City of
Orlando’s Northwest Community Center now
features a library stocked with new books, a
game room, a renovated technology center
outfitted with brand-new laptops and a printer.
The center also received new couches, tables,
cabinets, desks, chairs, bookcases and most
importantly, an invigorating environment that
will allow the minds of Orlando’s youth to be
positively nurtured.
“I think having a
place to play is paramount in the life of any
individual,” said Orlando Magic center Adonal
Foyle, a static benevolent figure in the Orlando
community. “So I’m very happy to be a part of
this amazing celebration in which we can create
the opportunity to not just learn but the
opportunity to understand how important and
vital sports is to the lives of young people.”
The renovation reflects the Orlando
Magic’s commitment to advancement of literacy in
Orlando, one of the organization’s three
charitable focus areas, along with
health/wellness and the arts. The Northwest
Community Center renovation is the fourth
renovation the Magic have done this season
alone.
“The NBA and the Orlando Magic
understand the importance of making Central
Florida a better place to live, in particular
for our youth,” said Orlando Magic Chief
Operating Officer Alex Martins, who was joined
in attendance by numerous NBA Hall-of-Famers,
local elected officials and NBA representatives,
including NBA Commissioner David Stern. “That is
why we joined together today in opening and
rededicating this reading and learning center.
The center is part of the Orlando Magic’s
commitment to assisting our local community with
reading and learning programs as well as
computer labs. It gives our kids the opportunity
to get off the street, do things after school
and most importantly prepare themselves for the
next stage of their lives.”
The NBA,
where caring happens.
Just ask the kids
at the Northwest Community Center in Orlando.
Orlando’s NBA franchise since 1989, the
Magic’s mission is to be world champions on and
off the court, delivering legendary moments
every step of the way. Off the court, on an
annual basis the Orlando Magic gives more than
$2 million to the local community and impacts an
estimated 75,000 kids each year. The Orlando
Magic is also the developer of the new downtown
Events Center opening in the fall of 2010, and
the facility will be operated by the City of
Orlando and owned by the Central Florida
Community.
Through the National
Basketball Association’s NBA CARES program, the
league, players and teams will raise and
contribute $100 million for charity, donate more
than 1 million hours of hands-on volunteer
service to communities worldwide, and build more
than 100 places where kids can learn and play
over the next five years.
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WHO: |
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer
District 5 City Commissioner Daisy W. Lynum
David Stern, NBA Commissioner
Orlando Magic
Chief Operating Officer Alex Martins
Families, Parks and Recreation’s Summer Camp
participants
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WHEN: |
Wednesday, June
10, 2009 at 11:30 a.m.
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WHERE: |
Northwest Community Center
3955 W. D. Judge Drive
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