BADEN DONATES TO SEATTLE HIGH SCHOOL IN TIME OF NEED
[Sep-25-2006]
Courtesy of the Seattle Times-
It wasn't so much the donation of new uniforms and money that touched Cleveland High School basketball players, coaches and administrators — though they are thrilled about both. It was simply the feeling that someone cares.
In a packed gymnasium on Friday, Sonics All-Stars Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis drew loud cheers from Cleveland students during a morning assembly.
They were there to announce that their charity foundations, the Ray of Hope Foundation and the Rashard Lewis Foundation, as well as the Sonics & Storm Foundation, will pay for new uniforms to replace the ones stolen in a Labor Day weekend break-in. They also presented a check for $4,000 to the school's athletic department to help replace other stolen equipment.
"It's great to have somebody care for you like this," said senior point guard Hilton Horne. "I wouldn't think that they would do something like this for people they don't even know, but they came through for us."
Horne is frequently told that he looks like Allen. After meeting the Sonics guard Horne said, joking, "I look slightly better than Ray Allen."
Adults were equally moved by the donations by the Sonics players.
"It's great just to know that somebody out there cares about you," said Cleveland athletic director Wayne Floyd. "That you're not just another anonymous face going through life, and that people are paying attention to what goes on in your life and want to do things to help you get through. It's an amazing lift."
The Sonics are also giving two tickets to every student and staff member of the school for the team's exhibition home opener against Portland at KeyArena. Shaniqua Bodary, a Cleveland sophomore who sang the national anthem to kick off the assembly, was invited by the Sonics to perform the anthem at that Oct. 20 game.
The school has also received monetary donations from alumni, and 24 basketballs from Federal Way-based Baden Sports.
After shaking hands and signing autographs for several minutes, Lewis said the reaction of the students was heartwarming. For Allen the experience reminded him of a visit from a future member of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
"Alex English came to our high school and gave a speech, and I remember that to this day," said Allen. "These kids will remember this, and hopefully it can encourage them to be great.
"It's so simple for us to come down here for 30 minutes out of our morning, and this will be imprinted in their memories for the rest of their lives."
"Other than my children being born, this is the greatest day of my life," said Cleveland coach Calvin Johnson. "It's just great for the whole school, for the morale of the school. Today reminded these young men that people care about them.
"That's very important."
