FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August, 7 2018
Contact
Colneth Smiley
Desk: 617.348.6224
Cell: 617.872.9435
colneth.smiley@bostonabcd.org
Coach Doc Rivers and Coach Brad Stevens host
8 th Annual ABCD Hoop Dreams at TD Garden
Boston Businesses Play B-ball to Benefit Programs for Boston’s At-risk Youth
Boston Sportswriter Bob Ryan moderates private Q & A with Doc & Brad
(BOSTON, MA) – Generous Boston businesses are getting their game on and recruiting teams to play at ABCD’s Hoop Dreams, a unique charity basketball tournament played on the legendary TD Garden parquet. They get to live out a fantasy – drive the lane or make that three-pointer at the buzzer – while making a huge impact on the lives of young people in need.
Tip-off under the iconic championship banners is Tuesday, Sept. 4th, at 5:00 p.m.
A spin-off of ABCD Field of Dreams, played at Fenway Park, Hoop Dreams is a fundraising event co-founded by the great Boston sportswriter Bob Ryan and Coach Doc Rivers just a few years after Rivers led the Boston Celtics to the 2008 NBA Championship. Although he now coaches for the LA Clippers, Doc returns every year to support Boston’s underserved youth through this special ABCD event.
Doc enlisted his successor, Coach Brad Stevens, to co-host Hoop Dreams, and the evening shifts into “overtime” with a private Q&A in the Legends Club with Doc and Brad, moderated by Bob Ryan.
— Doc Rivers will be acknowledged for his years of outstanding compassion and commitment to Boston youth and the ABCD community when he is inducted into the ABCD Hall of Fame at the October 26th Community Heroes Celebration. More at abcdheroes.org. —
Thanks to invaluable support from TD Garden and its President Amy Latimer, Garden Neighborhood Charities, the Boston Celtics, and participating businesses, each year Hoop Dreams benefits ABCD’s innovative Youth Service programs. One such initiative, SummerWorks, provides disadvantaged youth with paid jobs that give back to the community, as well as career development workshops, one-to-one mentoring, and soft skills training.
“Letting fans play on the floor in the Garden in front of myself and Brad Stevens and Celtics legends – it’s a very cool thing,” said Coach Doc Rivers. “I love that the proceeds go towards ABCD Youth programs, encouraging students to stay in school and prepare for careers towards real success.”
“Not only are we grateful to the Boston businesses that support Hoop Dreams, we admire them for investing in our youth and believing in their potential,” said ABCD President/CEO John J. Drew. “Hoop Dreams is a lot of fun, but it’s important to note that the funds and the good will that come out of this exciting event can change the course of a young person’s life for the better. Hundreds of young people, in fact.”
Here’s a look at what Hoop Dreams is all about.
Again this year, players and fans can post and share on social media using #ABCDHoopDreams and tagging @bostonabcd on Facebook and Twitter, @ABCDBoston on Instagram.
This year’s Hoop Dreams teams include Eaton Vance, Vertex, MassMutual, Loomis Sayles, Aetna, The Verano Group, and Live Nation.
Additional Sponsors include Proskauer, Delta Dental, and M2Holdings
ABCD is grateful to our corporate sponsors for their generous contributions. We ask the general public to partner with us as well in raising more funds so that we can reach more students, setting them on a path to success. Visit BostonABCD.org to donate and learn more.
For more information regarding Hoop Dreams please contact Liz Gillis at (617) 3486244, email elizabeth.gillis@bostonabcd.org, and visit abcdhoopdreams.org.
About Garden Neighborhood Charities
Garden Neighborhood Charities is the philanthropic arm of the TD Garden. Its mission is to provide support, through grants, inkind donations, volunteerism and community events, to charitable organizations and programs making a positive impact in our neighborhood of Greater Boston. Garden Neighborhood Charities is committed to bringing the excitement and lasting memories of live entertainment and sporting events to those in our neighborhoods who might not otherwise have access to such fulfilling experiences. Garden Neighborhood Charities is a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization.
About ABCD
A Massachusetts-based nonprofit human services organization, ABCD provides low income residents in the Boston and Mystic Valley areas with the tools, support, and resources they need to transition from poverty to stability and from stability to success. Each year, we’ve served more than 100,000 individuals, elders and families through a broad range of innovative initiatives as well as long-established, proven programs and services. For more than 50 years, ABCD has been deeply rooted in each neighborhood we serve, empowering individuals and families and supporting them in their quest to live with dignity and achieve their highest potential. For more, please visit bostonabcd.org.
