The NAACP and the NBA Join Forces for Legends & Legacy: A Salute to 100 Years of Change

July 6, 2009 - PRLog -- Longtime partners in the fight for equality, the NAACP and the National Basketball Association come together for a night of celebration at Legends & Legacy: A Salute to 100 Years of Change.   Join in celebrating the work and life of some of NBA’s greatest at this fundraising event for the New York State Conference of the NAACP Branches.

The NAACP and NBA have nurtured agents of change within our communities and paved the road for the future.  This fundraising event and ceremony will celebrate their victories, honoring legends of basketball and the NAACP.   Visionaries from within the NBA, past and present, will be in attendance for a Passing of the Torch to our future leaders.  Confirmed players include Junior Bridgeman, a 12-year career player and owner of 112 Wendy’s and 118 Chili’s in nine states, Bob Lanier, an NBA Hall of Famer and Special Assistant to the Commissioner of the National Basketball Association, Kevin Johnson, NBA All-Star and Mayor of Sacramento, California, George Gervin, an NBA Hall of Famer, educator and philanthropist, and current New Orleans Hornet Captain, 2006 Rookie of the Year, 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist and All-Star Chris Paul.

On the NBA working with the NAACP and its impact on the players, Executive Director of the NBRPA (National Basketball Retired Players Association), Charles D. Smith Jr., says “It’s the 100 years of work put forth by the NAACP outside the game of professional sports which has caused a sense of social responsibility amongst NBA players. The honorees chosen for this event are a testament to the continued efforts of the NAACP.”

This event will take place Wednesday, July 15, 2009, at the elegant Gotham Hall, located at 1356 Broadway at 36th Street in New York City.  The night begins with an exclusive cocktail party and awards ceremony from 8pm until 10pm.  This is immediately followed by an after party featuring one of New York’s top DJ’s, celebrities, and NBA greats.  Legends & Legacy: A Salute to 100 Years of Change is sponsored by Jeffries & Company, Inc.; Haier Global; White Rose; Siebert Brandford Shank & Co., LLC; Trump Organization; Global Strategies Group; Forest City Ratner Companies and Loop Capital.

Tickets to attend the ceremony and cocktail reception are $200.  For the after-party, general tickets are $100 and VIP are $150. For more information on tickets and sponsorship, contact Jahmila Joseph at ideaenhancement@gmail.com. Please make all checks payable to Idea Enhancement, Inc, a registered 501c3 at 4822 Church Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11203.

About NAACP
Founded Feb. 12. 1909, the NAACP is the nation's oldest, largest and most widely recognized grassroots–based civil rights organization. Its more than half-million members and supporters throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.  
The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination.

About NBRPA
Founded in 1992 by NBA Legends Dave DeBusschere, Dave Bing, Archie Clark, Dave Cowens and Oscar Robertson, the National Basketball Retired Players Association is a non-profit Association comprised of former professional basketball players of the NBA, ABA and Harlem Globetrotters. Working in direct partnerships with the NBA and the NBPA, the Legends of Basketball's mission is to promote basketball and enhance the sports image by assisting Members in building community relationships and fostering support for charitable activities; providing comprehensive health care coverage, including Deborah Hospital's family cardiovascular center and the Hospital for Special Surgery's orthopedic services; offering the Dave DeBusschere NBRPA Scholarship Fund for members and their children; monitoring the pension plan; and creating revenue-earning opportunities such as special appearances and international basketball tours.