Get This Man a Coat, Please

Posted by deb on November 18, 2009

If you look at this picture closely, and I am sure some of you have, it would seem the gentleman in the middle does not need a coat.  But in reality he has asked for coats for the last several years at this time of year.  After the Sacramento fiasco that was a game, Kyle Korver held his annual coat drive.  This is something he has done both here in  Salt Lake and in Philadelphia. Thanks to the Deseret News for this brief story on the origins of Kyle’s coat drive in his own words,

“He (one of Kyle’s teammates) walked into the locker room and he’s like, ‘Sunshine. Tomorrow. Bring your $500. It’s for the kids.’ ”

Korver’s less-than-impressed response?

“I’m like, ‘What? Isn’t it a coat drive? Like, shouldn’t I bring a coat?’ ” he laughed. “He was just like collecting money and then had somebody go buy coats.”

The next year, the Sixers asked Korver to be in charge and he — get this — decided to have people actually donate coats, not cash.

“We ended up doing it and did really well, and we got a lot of coats,” he said. “So we started doing it every year and people kinda would look forward to it.”

Korver happily agreed to continue the coat drive in Utah after being traded here. He especially likes that kids get new coats, not hand-me-downs.

“For these kids, most of the coats that they do get — if they do get a coat — is something that’s been passed down,” he said. “So they get to actually pick out a coat and it’s a pretty cool thing for them. It makes you feel good.”

 There are literally thousands of kids in Philadelphia and Salt Lake very grateful Kyle made that decision and probably even more fans grateful he did.  The coat drive was a chance to meet Kyle in person and have him autograph something, anything from shirts, hats, pictures to a pregnant belly/shirt and other body parts.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg as far as his service to others goes.  Many of the Jazz players and players throughout the NBA give back to their communities.  Although part of this generosity is in their contracts,  it would be a very long list of players who go above and beyond their contractual obligations.  So I just wanted to mention four local players and their efforts.

Ronnie Price just recently established his foundation, www.ronnieprice.net/foundation, “Our mission is to make a difference in the lives of children who struggle in homes and communities for lack of recreational and educational opportunities, facilities and programs. By providing resources, opportunities and mentoring, while at the same time providing opportunities for volunteers, donors and other like minded charities to provide service and friendship to sister communities as well as to individual children and their families.”

Andre Kirilenko and his wife Masha have www.kirilenkokids.com, “We are here to impact the lives of young children in Utah and Russia by contributing key supplies, services and assistance to children’s hospitals and orphanages and other related endeavors that the Foundation determine to be appropriate.  Develop and enhance underprivileged children’s skill and character through Basketball Schools and others sports related activities that will lead to a more positive and healthy lifestyle.  Through the efforts of the Foundation Masha and Andrei Kirilenko strive to positively impact the lives of all the Foundation comes in contact with”.

Most of you are probably aware of Deron William’s Point of Hope Foundation www.deronwilliams.net,  “A Mission of Hope and Healing, providing support and hope to those who have cancer and to people in need.”

And finally www.kylekorverfoundation.  “The Kyle Korver foundation believes that a grassroots individualistic approach is the way to enact change. One child, one family, one class, one school, one neighborhood, one city. By offering athletic opportunity, academic support, Christian guidance, and nurturing of the gifts of the children, it is strongly believed that change is possible. From Philadelphia to Omaha to Salt Lake City (and points between), the Foundation is committed to offering opportunity to the disadvantaged and hope to the hopeless.”  This is a new website for Kyle’s foundation and it is really well done, great pictures.

So next time you are trying to quell your anger or disappointment at what may have happened in your life as a Jazz fan, take a few minutes and see what some of the players do with the other parts of their lives.

By the way, I really need the vinyl in my kitchen torn out if anyone knows someone who knows how to do that.

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