From Building Healthy Communities Newsletter
Team Seeks Further Involvement with Long Beach Community
Los Angeles – The Los Angeles Sparks and the Long Beach Chapter of the 100 Black Men of America have joined forces in an effort to promote better lifestyles for the youth in the Los Angeles and Long Beach communities.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for us to become further involved within the Long Beach community,” said Sparks President Mike Levy. “We are excited about the potential impact of this partnership.”
The Long Beach based organization strives to improve the quality of life through efforts in the chapter’s “Four-for-the-Future” programs consisting of Education, Mentoring, Health and Wellness, and Economic Empowerment. The chapter consists of a group of leading African American men in business, government, education, technology and public affairs. They are dedicated to intellectual development of youth and the economic empowerment of the African American community based on the following precepts: respect for family, spirituality, justice, and integrity.
The partnership with the Sparks is part of a league wide partnership that 100 Black Men of America will participate in with the WNBA.
“Our vision for partnering the WNBA with the 100 Black Men of America was to adjoin the WNBA’s commitment to community service with the 100 Black Men’s history of shaping tomorrow’s leaders,” states Liquid Soul Media CEO Tirrell Whittley. “It is an honor to see this fruitful partnership permeate throughout the organization’s chapters and the league’s teams where local youth from underserved communities will be the true benefactors of this union.”
The Sparks and 100 Men of Long Beach hope to work together by engaging with the youth and supporting a positive environment. The two organizations will assist each other at various events in the greater Los Angeles community and provide mentorship and inspiration to many young people in need.
“We have great relationships with some of the Sparks current and former,” said 100 Black Men President Mike Asfall. “Sparks Vice President and General Manager Penny Toler went to Long Beach State, which is right in our backyard.”
ABOUT THE 100 BLACK MEN OF LONG BEACH
Members represent a wide range of professions including corporate executives, physicians, attorneys, entrepreneurs, entertainers, elected officials, professional athletes, educators and men from numerous other professions that have created an international coalition. The men of the 100 are committed as individuals, and as an organization, to increasing our engagement with youth especially in the area of mentoring. Visit www.100blackmenlbc.com for more information.
ABOUT THE LOS ANGELES SPARKS
The Los Angeles Sparks are competing in their 16th Women’s National Basketball Association season in 2012 and are one of three original teams from the league’s inaugural campaign in 1997. Winner of back-to-back WNBA Championships in 2001 and 2002, Los Angeles’ roster of star athletes includes 2008 WNBA MVP and Rookie of the Year Candace Parker, two-time WNBA champion DeLisha Milton-Jones, four-time All-Star Alana Beard, and the first overall pick in the 2012 WNBA Draft, Nnemkadi Ogwumike. The Sparks play their home games at STAPLES Center in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. For ticket information, call 877-44-SPARKS (772757) or visit LASparks.com.