CZE - Basketball aims at charity – ABC project introduced

PRAGUE (2010 FIBA World Championship for Women) - ABC (All Baskets Count) is a charity project adopted and introduced to the 16th World Basketball Championship for Women by the LOC. ABC uses a charity concept “Každý koš pomáhá” (KPP) that has been established and successfully used by the Czech basketball community (men’s and women’s teams, players, fans) for the last 4 seasons.

The goal of ABC is to locate initial funding for the construction of a “House for All Generations” where young men and women between 18 and 20 years of age who are leaving state run children’s homes will live together and take care of seniors requiring assistance. The Czechoslovak Hussite Church announced its intention to donate the land for the construction with additional investments and operating costs to be provided by the non-government and non-profit civic associations ENYA (the Ecumenical Network For Youth Action) and Kazdy kos pomaha (the Czech version of ABC).

The ABC project has received support from both FIBA and LOC who have pledged a combined contribution of CZK 500,000.

However, not only FIBA and LOC is ready to give support to ABC. One of the main faces of the upcoming charity is the Czech Republic’s team captain, Hana Horakova, who will donate CZK 500 for every three point basket she makes while head coach Lubor Blazek will add the same amount for any three pointer made by his team. “I believe that projects such as ABC make sense because the recipient and the goal of the charity is clearly set. I am happy that through sports such projects can come to life,” says Horakova. Czech basketball is not alone in its effort to help the good cause. The head coach of Team USA Geno Auriemma will join the project as well by contributing USD 50 for each of the three point baskets made by his team. “I am extremely happy and grateful to have coach Auriemma on board for ABC. It is just great to see a foreign participating coach support a local charity. I sincerely hope that others will follow suit and we will be able to get the “House for All Generations” project off the ground,” adds Jiri Zidek, vice president of Czech Basketball Federation.

Even the fans, ether directly in the stadium or watching on TV can support ABC by sending a DMS message in the following form: DMS POMOCKOSEM to 87 777 (the cost of the DMS message is CZK 30 with CZK 27 going to ABC, CZK 3 covering the costs). The main media partner of ABC is Czech TV which is also the producer of the worldwide signal from the World Championship and the sport’s broadcaster in the Czech Republic. All live games shown on Czech TV will feature promo spots for the DMS messaging service.

ABC is a an example of a charitable project that gives another dimension to sports events and sports in general and sets an example that such a project can be adopted during a sports event of such magnitude as a world championship.

ABC hopes that other federations, players, coaches and fans travelling with their teams will follow the example set by Hana Horakova, Lubor Blazek and Geno Auriemma and will support a good cause during a world-class sports event.

LOC/FIBA