As part of Athletes for Hope’s annual September 11th national service day campaign to honor our nation’s fallen heroes, Sacramento Kings Forward Thomas Robinson took time out of his busy schedule to visit the Sacramento Children’s Home. After being drafted as the fifth pick in the 2012 NBA draft, Thomas attended the NBA Rookie Transition Program in which Athletes for Hope led a workshop focused on giving back to the community. Thomas then signed up as an AFH member and since then has been focused on increasing his involvement in the community. With AFH’s help, Thomas identified the Sacramento Children’s Home as a great organization to get involved with in his new city.

During his visit to the Sacramento Children’s Home, Thomas spent over an hour doing a variety of fun activities with the kids as they played music, shot around on the basketball court and hung out together. Thomas also made sure to sign autographs for all the children there.

“It was great – I really enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to coming back to visit with the kids again soon,” Thomas said.

Established in 1867, the Sacramento Children’s Home has always been deeply committed to the care of children and families. Their community-based, residential and educational programs address the issues of children, newborn to 21, and range from prevention of child abuse and parenting education, to acute trauma treatment.

For the second year in a row, Athletes for Hope members have united for our annual Hope for the Holidays campaign. The campaign is set up for athletes who might have some extra time during the holiday season to go out and give their time to the community. We received a high volume of responses from the AFH members and it turned out to be a great experience once again. Throughout our campaign Athletes for Hope set up over 61 connections across the country. Athlete members from a wide range of sports and teams participated in helping homeless shelters, writing letters to troops serving abroad, and visiting children’s’ hospitals.

Here are few examples of Athletes for Hope members making a difference this holiday season…

• Daniel Merklinger (Milwaukee Brewers) visited The West Orange Boys and Girls Club to help Compose a letter to our troops for the holidays.
• Shawn Kuykendall (MLS) visited the Homeless Children’s Playtime Project (HCPP) and hung out and participated with their scheduled holiday festivities.
• Cat Whitehill (Atlanta Beat), Leslie Osborne (Boston Breakers), and Kristine Lilly (US National Soccer retired) – Boston Children’s Hospital
• Julianne Sitch (Atlanta Beat) visited Children’s Memorial Hospital and kids at Gilda’s Club Chicago
• Katie Bethke (Atlanta Beat) visited the B&G Club of Greater Chippewa Valley and Eau Claire YMCA (12/12) to do letter writing campaigns for our troops.
• Noelle Pikus Pace (Olympic Skeleton) visited the Huntsman Cancer Institute and donated 200 hats with hair to patients there.
• Carin Gabarra (Navy) visited the Annapolis Boys and Girls Club and worked with the kids to compose a letter to our troops for the holidays.

When asked about the importance of our troops, Carin Gabarra stated, “During the holiday season, it is very important to show our love and support of our troops, especially when many are far away from families and friends defending and protecting our freedom. I want to sincerely thank all the servicemen and servicewomen all over the world for the sacrifices they and their families make every day. We all know they are more than just our protectors…you are spouses, parents, children, siblings and friends. While we enjoy our families and friends during this holiday season, we all should think of them as they put their lives on the line so that strangers can walk in freedom. We owe them more than anything that can be put in words.”

On Wednesday July 27th, 2011, Jeff Green of the Boston Celtics visited the Homeless Children’s Playtime Project (HCPP) in Washington, D.C. Jeff who grew up in Hyattsville, Maryland wanted to give back to those less fortunate in the Washington DC Metro Area. The visit started with Jeff reading to the children, followed by some basketball and an intense game of “Knockout.” This event was part of a series of visits that Jeff will make to different charities throughout the summer through his involvement with AFH.

Jeff was happy to spend time with the children and had this to say:“It was a great event. I really enjoyed spending time with the kids. I’m glad I had the opportunity to speak with them about the importance of responsibility and education. They were tremendous, and we had a lot of fun!”

The Homeless Children’s Playtime Project works to nurture healthy child development and reduce the effects of trauma among children living in temporary housing programs in the District of Columbia. It is well documented that homelessness causes physical, emotional, and developmental harm to children, yet the resources that serve them are shrinking and largely inaccessible. They provide an outlet for creative and physical expression as well as healthy eating options to support the children’s mind and body.

The San Diego Padres continued their involvement with Athletes for Hope on Friday, May 27th with a stop at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. Three of the team’s pitchers, Tim Stauffer, Aaron Harang, and Luke Gregerson, visited the historic medical center which specializes in amputation and brain surgery rehabilitation. The players spent an hour at the hospital before a 3-game series with the Washington Nationals on Memorial Day Weekend.

The Padres spent their time interacting with the veterans and their families. In addition, the athletes signed autographs and left Padres memorabilia for the soldiers. While some soldiers were away from the hospital with family for the holiday, those present in their rooms were delighted to meet the Major League Baseball players. Congresswoman Jackie Speier of California’s 12th district was also visiting the hospital and the veterans. She thanked the athletes for their kind hearts and willingness to give back to our Armed Forces who sacrifice tremendously for all Americans.

The highlight of the day was when the players met with a patient who has been a Padres fan his entire life. The patient donned his San Diego jersey and traveled across the hospital to the ward where the players were visiting. Stauffer, Harang, and Gregerson were humbled by the soldier’s admiration and gladly posed for a personal photo with him.

The visit to Walter Reed is part of an initiative by the San Diego Padres to reach out to members of the Armed Forces and thank them for their service.

“It’s kind of hard to put into words. It’s a great experience, definitely something everyone should do.” – Luke Gregerson