NBA ALL-STAR & CHARLOTTE NATIVE ANTAWN JAMISON PARTNERS WITH NON-PROFIT KABOOM! FOR VOLUNTEER BUILT PLAYGROUND AT SIMMONS FAMILY YMCA

CHARLOTTE –  Washington Wizards NBA All-Star and Charlotte native Antawn Jamison will join hundreds of volunteers from the YMCA of Greater Charlotte and the local community in building a playground in just one day at the Simmons Family YMCA on Saturday, July 11.

The playground’s design was recently selected and is based on drawings provided by children who attended a Design Day event on May 13. Features of the new 3,000-plus square foot playground, which is primarily being funded by Jamison, include multiple slides, a tire swing, climbing apparatuses and many more activities for children.

On Saturday, July 11, hundreds of volunteers with gather to build the playground in less than eight hours. The playground build will begin at 8:30 a.m. and be completed before a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2:30 p.m. In between, volunteers build playground components, mix concrete and move more than 45,360 square feet of safety surfacing by hand  - enough to cover nearly 10 NBA-sized basketball courts.

The playspace is the second built primarily by KaBOOM! and Jamison, and one of more than 150 KaBOOM! will lead across the country in 2009 in an effort to provide a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Jamison is a KaBOOM! All-Star Playmaker – an extension of the Playmaker Network consisting of national leaders and celebrities who take action for play on behalf of KaBOOM!, while promoting the importance of play.

Jamison, whose “A Better Tomorrow” campaign has helped countless individuals across the country via scholarships, clothing and food donations and financial contributions, participated alongside hundreds of volunteers to build a KaBOOM! playground in just one day in New Orleans in conjunction with the 2008 NBA All-Star Game.

Inspired by the massive community involvement and the tangible result of a playground that will serve thousands of children, Jamison contacted KaBOOM! to facilitate building playgrounds near his childhood homes of Shreveport and Charlotte. On Sept. 6, 2008, Jamison helped hundreds of volunteers build a new playground in just one day near Shreveport in Bossier City, La.

The playground build taking place on July 11 will be in conjunction with Jamison’s fourth annual All-Star Basketball Camp being held July 6-8 at his alma mater, Providence High School. For more information on the camp, contact Livis Freeman at 919-765-5546 or livisfreeman@4ourfans.com.

Volunteers are still needed for the playground build. No experience is required and food/drink will be provided. Individuals interested in volunteering can contact Carola Cárdenas at 704-716-6609 or carola.cardenas@ymcacharlotte.org.

Antawn Jamison
Having completed his 11th season out of the University of North Carolina, Antawn Jamison has served as a team captain for the Washington Wizards for the past five years. A two-time NBA All-Star (2005, 2008), Jamison has averaged at least 19 points per game in nine of his 11 professional seasons. He was awarded the NBA's Community Assist Award in 2003 for his incredible community service efforts in North Carolina and was named a finalist for the NBA’s Sportsmanship Award in 2009. As a former winner of the Magic Johnson Award, presented annually by the Professional Basketball Writers Association to an NBA player who combines excellence on the court with outstanding cooperation with the media, and a two-time honoree by The Sporting News as one of the "Good Guys" in sports, Jamison is also a fixture at Washington Wizards community events. 

YMCA of Greater Charlotte
The YMCA of Greater Charlotte, a United Way member agency, is comprised of 21 locations, 900 square miles and many more program sites in Southern Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg and Union Counties. The YMCA of Greater Charlotte reaches 279,104 people, including 91,765 children and teens, through membership, program participation, volunteerism and philanthropy. The YMCA’s pledge is that no one will be denied service based on an inability to pay and the organization has distributed more than $4.5 million in financial assistance serving 12% of our membership. The 135-year-old non-profit organization serves its community with a continuum of educational and recreational programs that foster healthy spirit, mind and body.  www.ymcacharlotte.org.

KaBOOM!
KaBOOM! is a national non-profit organization that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Since 1995, KaBOOM! has used its innovative community-build model to bring together business and community interests to construct more than 1,600 new playgrounds, skateparks, sports fields and ice rinks across North America. KaBOOM! also offers a variety of resources, including an online community, free online trainings, grants, publications and the KaBOOM! National Campaign for Play, which includes Playful City USA and Playmakers – a national network of individual advocates for play. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., KaBOOM! also has offices in Chicago and San Mateo, Calif. For more information, visit www.kaboom.org.

CONTACTS:        
Molly Thompson, YMCA of Greater Charlotte, 704-716-6238  
Livis Freeman, Antawn Jamison, 919-389-3486
Mike Vietti, KaBOOM!, 202-464-6076