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//For Immediate Release//
For more information, contact:
Justin LaBerge, 816-235-7724 or justin@sturgesword.com
Bill Self’s Basketball Boogie Raises Money for Assists Foundation
KU basketball coach hosts inaugural event at the Kansas Speedway to raise seed money
for visionary health and wellness facilities
LAWRENCE, Kan. (April 22, 2008) – Alarmed by soaring rates of childhood obesity, and the medical, physical, and emotional toll the lack of physical exercise and engagement has on America’s youth, Kansas Men’s Basketball Coach Bill Self announced today the creation of a new fundraising event to fight this public health crisis.
Self will host the inaugural Bill’s Basketball Boogie on Saturday, June 7, 2008, at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan. The event will support his Assists Foundation, a not-for-profit organization founded by the Self Family to promote health and wellness among young people. The foundation will use the proceeds from the event for the development of athletic-oriented health and wellness facilities, including a one-of-a-kind campus, it plans to build in the greater Kansas City-Lawrence area.
“Serious problems require bold solutions, and we hope to create a first-class facility here in the heartland that can serve as a national model for like-minded organizations across the country,” Self said. “Kansas Basketball stands for integrity, sportsmanship, tradition, and excellence, and we want to build places to play that will help the young people of our communities have the health and wellness skills necessary to embody these values throughout their lives.”
In addition to host Bill Self, the Basketball Boogie will feature live performances by Sawyer Brown and Disco Dick and the Mirror Balls, a drawing for a 2008 Scion courtesy of Crown Automotive Group, food courtesy of The Salty Iguana and Cupini’s, beverages courtesy of Standard Beverage Corporation, and both silent and live auctions. Individuals and organizations interested in sponsorships or individual tickets can visit the event’s Web site, www.basketballboogie.org.
Details about the Assists project, including the location, scope, size, layout, and projected opening date are yet to be determined. Proceeds from the event will be used, in part, to fund master planning, which is essential for site selection, budgeting, and long-range planning. The foundation envisions a campus that is accessible to young people of all socioeconomic backgrounds from both the Lawrence and Kansas City areas. Planners hope to find a site within reasonable distance of both Lawrence and Kansas City that can accommodate expansion to include multiple buildings and dozens of athletic fields and courts for all types of health and wellness activities.
“Projects like this don’t magically happen,” Self said. “We can stand around and decry the problem, or we can take action to make a difference. It’s going to take a lot of money, hard work, time, and dedication to make this vision a reality, but we have to start somewhere. Cindy and I are committed to this area, and we are excited and honored to lead this charge.”
The Basketball Boogie planning committee members are Fern Badzin, David Ball, Jeff Boerger, Bryan Caton, Gina Danner, Laura Dixon, Cecil Kingsley, Tom Lipscomb, Bonnie Lowe, Steven Ortiz, Miles Schnaer, Cindy Self, Lance Snyder, Molly Snyder, and Cheryl Womack.
“All of our sponsors and committee members have been instrumental in helping this event come to fruition,” Self said. “The foundation is grateful to all of them for their generosity, support, and dedication to such an important cause. It’s nice to know that so many folks share our vision for healthy and happy children who can enjoy a lifetime of success and wellness.”
The mission of the Assists Foundation is to provide young people access to better lives. This is accomplished by identifying areas of need and working with other community-based institutions to provide creative and lasting solutions. Founded in 2006 by Bill and Cindy Self, the Assists Foundation is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization. For more information on the foundation, visit www.assistyouth.org.
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