Saturday, September 27, 2008 PBA reaches out to fans, youth
MANILA—As part of its celebration for the 34th season, the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is reaching out to the fans and the youth through a series of out-of-court activities starting today.
PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios said that a gift-giving activity will highlight today’s affair with some 100 kids at the old Rizal Racket Club within the Rizal Provincial Capitol compound in Pasig City with no less than the United States Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney presiding.
Barrios said that it’s actually a two-day event that will also feature the championship game of the pro-league’s pre-season tournament, also at the same arena, renovated by Gov. Casimiro Ynares III for the purpose.
“We have touched base with the US Embassy here for this joint project, which officially commences our planned outreach program,” Barrios said during the Scoop Forum.
“This particular program is aimed at showcasing the other side of the PBA.
We want the fans to feel thant the PBA is not only about basketball. We also have program for our fans and, especially our youth,” Barrios said.
Part of the project, according to Barrios, who is in his second term as the PBA top man is the book-reading program similar to that practiced in the US NBA where players read books to in-school and out-of-school children in the hope of building a healthy and informed citizenry.
“I finalized this program personally when I visited the NBA headquarters in New York in my recent trip to the US where I talked to commissioner David Stern on the matter. Hindi naman sa pagyayabang eh idea ko ito which I first introduced to Mr. Stern last March,” he recalled. (FCC)
