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Rick is a former NBA basketball star, is a business development specialist for corporations and charitable organizations through Great American Nutrition, The Risk Advisory Council, Santa Fe Bancorp (partner), Synergy Financial (partner) Environmental Resources LLC(partner) and the Randy Morgan Collection. He is also a Board Member of the Los Angeles Chapter of The Legends of Basketball (NBA Retired Players Association, Athletes against autism, the Randall Foundation Athletes N Education (Founder)
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Former NBA players help give children hope in Buena Park
July 1, 2014
Updated 6:42 p.m.
The children peered through the windows with anticipation until the door finally opened, marking the start of Hoops for Hope.
Giving Children Hope had a dozen former NBA players and athletes volunteer their time to facilitate a sports clinic for Buena Park kids in the We’ve Got Your Back program. WGYB students from Whitaker, Pendleton, Gilbert, Valencia and Emery elementary schools and Buena Park High School showed up ready to play.
The children were divided into groups and spent the morning learning new basketball, soccer, martial arts, football and fishing skills. In addition, they learned how to sword fight from Medieval Times knights. It was most of the kids’ first time to hold a fishing rod, and they had the chance to win their own. There was a local soccer coach from a club in Buena Park who invited a boy to join his team. He said he saw great potential in the boy and thought he should be playing on a team.
It was a hot day that made sure everyone was extra hungry at lunch for tacos. After lunch there was free play with the athletes. A couple kids got one-on-one lessons from former Sacramento Kings player David Cooke. The athletes inspired the kids to dream big and reach for their goals.
As the children began leaving, one boy yelled, “This was the best day of my life!”
GCHope would like to thank Rick Darnell and the Legends of Basketball for coordinating the appearance of such phenomenal athletes.
Thank you to Wells Fargo for sponsoring the event and believing in GCHope’s mission to serve vulnerable children and families across the street and around the world. Thank you to Walmart for the generous donation that enabled GCHope to receive new basketball hoops for the kids to enjoy. Thank you to all the athletes that came out to support these kids: Keith Erickson, Paul Clifford, Bob Mitchell, Mike Atwater, Brent Concolino, David Cooke, Ray Price, Amodo Salinas, Kent Williams, John Brewer, Philip Fredman, Jeff Wesson, Tac Clifford and Dr. Ward Henry.
GCHope was humbled to see how many people pulled together to make a difference in these kids’ lives.
– Submitted by Giving Children Hope
