MIAMI (AP) -In Alonzo Mourning’s view, the impact of having LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh together on the Miami Heat will go far beyond basketball.
It could change lives in one of the most impoverished major cities in the country.
The 14th annual Summer Groove, the five-day series of charity events that Mourning founded and now hosts in concert with Wade, starts on Wednesday. It’s raised around $8 million for needy children in Miami – which has plenty of neighborhoods filled with people just trying to get by – and is getting a clear shot of adrenalin this year amid all the buzz of what the future could be for the Heat.
d the impact this could have.”
Just in the few days since James and Bosh arrived, there’s been a surge of interest in the Groove, which devotes much of its resources on educational programs for kids who might not otherwise have the opportunity to get high school diplomas or attend college. It funds youth centers and after-school programs, directed at kids in some of Miami’s poorest neighborhoods.
Wade has co-hosted with Mourning in recent years, tying it in with his Wade’s World Foundation.
“Just by being a part of it, I felt like I did something right in life,” Wade said. “The last three years have really been something great. … These kids are really what it’s all about.”
Even with Mourning and Wade having overwhelming popularity in South Florida, fundraising has been tough in a down economy. This year’s event, however, could generate more money than ever before.
“To benefit more and more lives, we have to make all the right decisions to allow that to take its course,” Mourning said. “When me and my wife created this, we really felt like the only way for us to get the things accomplished that we want in this community would be through community support. The only way to generate that is to provide opportunity.”
at typically attracts many NBA All-Stars.
“With all the excitement going on in Miami, I think we’ve sold an extra couple tickets,” Wade deadpanned Wednesday. “I don’t know why, but I think we have.”
The goal for this year is to make a significant portion of what’s needed for a second youth center in South Florida. One was built several years ago in Miami’s Overtown neighborhood, and Mourning estimated that the startup costs for the second facility – which he would become refuge for hundreds of kids – is between $6 million and $8 million.
The chance to see James and Wade play before the season starts could get Mourning much closer to that goal.
“All this,” Mourning predicted, “is going to have a tremendous social impact across South Florida.”
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Online:
Summer Groove: http://thesummergroove.com
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