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Memphis Grizzlies

With the support of MENTOR and the Memphis Grizzlies Foundation, MENTOR Memphis Grizzlies will host the third annual, three-day&nbsp;Mentoring Matters Summit of Tennessee&nbsp;from&nbsp;Thursday, April 25, through&nbsp;Saturday, April 27.

The summit will feature two days of virtual sessions for mentoring practitioners on Thursday, April 25, and Friday, April 26, with an opening night reception for all participants to conclude the first day. Virtual sessions will feature local speakers, special guests and experts in positive youth development from across the country.

The virtual sessions will be followed by an in-person&nbsp;Youth Day&nbsp;on Saturday, April 27, where mentors and mentees can participate in an entirely free day of panel discussions and various, fun-filled activities at Tom Lee Park. Activities and panel topics are organized by the MENTOR Memphis Grizzlies Youth Advisory Council, comprised of 10 youths ranging in age from middle school to college who are affiliated with mentoring programs in the Grizzlies Foundation Network.

Themed "The Mentoring Puzzle: Cross-Sector Collaboration for a Stronger Community,” this year’s Mentoring Matters Summit focuses on corporate engagement and advocacy, college and career exploration, mentoring best practices and storytelling.

Through the annual summit, MENTOR Memphis Grizzlies strives to create empowering and inspiring educational opportunities for mentors and mentees, provide a platform for youth in the Mid-South to demonstrate leadership in their community and provide quality mentoring.

Participants interested in attending this year’s event can now register&nbsp;here.

Fans who want to support the Memphis Grizzlies and purchase 2023-24 single game tickets can do so now by going online to&nbsp;grizzlies.com/tickets. For more information on the Grizzlies, visit&nbsp;grizzlies.com,&nbsp;‘like’ Memphis Grizzlies on Facebook or follow&nbsp;@memgrizz&nbsp;on Twitter/X and Instagram.

ABOUT THE MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES&nbsp;FOUNDATION:

Harnessing the power of sport to transform lives, the Memphis Grizzlies Foundation is dedicated to closing the Opportunity Gap for children in underserved communities and, since 2004, has focused on finding, funding and creating youth mentoring and development programs that&nbsp;prepare students for success in college and career.&nbsp;Through the Foundation, the Grizzlies have invested more than $54.1 million in schools, community organizations and innovative projects that give students the tools to achieve their full potential.&nbsp; In 2012, the team earned the prestigious Beyond Sport Sports Team of the Year award in acknowledgement of its commitment to meaningful community service. The team was named to the 2013 President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition. In 2017, the Foundation was named a finalist for ESPN Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year.

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Mentor Memphis Grizzlies hosts third annual Mentoring Matters Summit of Tennessee, April 25-27

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MLK Day of Service 2024

As part of the Memphis Grizzlies’ 2024 MLK initiatives, the Grizzlies Foundation and Community Engagement teams will collaborated in executing an event showcasing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's. legacy through art. “Visualizing the Dream" featured members of the MENTOR Memphis Grizzlies Youth Advisory Council giving “Teen Talks” speaking to how Dr. King's legacy has positively impacted their access to opportunities and mobility. Following the Teen Talks, twelve local middle school artists painted basketballs based on these Teen Talks. The basketballs painted are on display in FedExForum beginning with the MLK Day game and continuing through Black History Month.

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Visualizing the Dream Recap

On&nbsp;Monday, Jan. 15, the Memphis Grizzlies, National Civil Rights Museum, City of Memphis and Shelby County will host the&nbsp;22nd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration Game, presented by&nbsp;Ford and your Mid-South Ford Dealers. The MLK Celebration Game concludes a collection of events honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Annual events include the FedEx Service Project, Sports Legacy Award presentation, annual Earl Lloyd Sports Legacy Symposium, the National Civil Rights Museum panel, and Youth Advisory Council TeenTalk. All events are to continue the ongoing conversations with the Memphis and Mid-South community to&nbsp;keep King’s dream alive. Associate MLK Celebration Game sponsors include&nbsp;FedEx,&nbsp;BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee&nbsp;and the&nbsp;Hyde Family Foundation. Fans can visit&nbsp;grizzlies.com/MLK&nbsp;for a full list of this year’s 22nd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration events, as well as watch symposiums and discussions from previous years.

The&nbsp;Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration Game&nbsp;will tip off at&nbsp;5 p.m. CT&nbsp;in a side-by-side telecast, broadcasting regionally on Bally Sports Southeast and nationally on TNT.

National Civil Rights Museum Sports Legacy Award Honorees

Honorees of the&nbsp;19th Annual National Civil Rights Museum Sports Legacy Award, presented by&nbsp;Ford and your Mid-South Ford Dealers, features NBA Hall of Famer&nbsp;Alex&nbsp;English, NFL Pro Bowl Running Back&nbsp;Calvin Hill, two-time WNBA Champion and activist&nbsp;Renee Montgomery&nbsp;and MLB Hall of Famer&nbsp;Ozzie Smith. The honorees will be celebrated on game day during the&nbsp;Earl Lloyd Sports Legacy Symposium, presented by the&nbsp;Hyde Family Foundation.

An eight-time NBA All-Star,&nbsp;English&nbsp;was named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame after a 15-year career.&nbsp;English&nbsp;is best known for his 11 seasons with the Denver Nuggets, where he helped guide the Nuggets to nine consecutive postseason appearances and a trip to the 1985 Western Conference Finals. When&nbsp;English&nbsp;left the Nuggets, he was the holder of many team records including most career points (21,645), assists (3,679), games (837) and minutes (29,893) in a Nuggets uniform. In addition to his time in Denver,&nbsp;English&nbsp;also played for the Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers and Dallas Mavericks.

Established in 1989,&nbsp;English’s&nbsp;Let’s Share Foundation&nbsp;contributes funds to feed, heal, shelter, educate, inspire, enlighten and nurture people of every age, gender, race and socioeconomic status. The goal of the Let’s Share Foundation is to provide quality of life for all people through the distribution of resources and support for those who may not be able to achieve it themselves.

A native of Baltimore, Maryland,&nbsp;Hill&nbsp;enjoyed a 12-year career with the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders and Cleveland Browns. Hill was named to the Pro Bowl team four times as a member of the Cowboys and finished his NFL career with 6,083 rushing yards and 42 rushing touchdowns. Hill is the father of NBA Hall of Famer Grant Hill, who was part of the 12th Annual National Civil Rights Museum Sports Legacy Award class in 2017.

Hill currently sits on the boards of several organizations and specializes in working with troubled players. As a consultant with the Cleveland Browns, Hill helped form a group of Browns’ players to control and eliminate drug and alcohol-related problems. Hill has also written several articles on sports and academia for national publications and works as a motivational speaker addressing the problems of drugs and alcohol and the important relationship of sports and academia.

One of the most influential figures in the history of women’s basketball, two-time WNBA Champion&nbsp;Montgomery&nbsp;retired after 11 seasons to advocate for racial justice. Montgomery was the 4th overall pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft after a four-year career at the University of Connecticut that was capped with a 39-0 season and a National Championship. Montgomery played for the Minnesota Lynx, Connecticut Sun, Seattle Storm and Atlanta Dream. Following her playing career, Montgomery became a part-owner of the Atlanta Dream.

The&nbsp;Renee Montgomery Foundation&nbsp;is a 501c3 non-profit foundation established to inspire, cultivate and empower the RMF “Moments Equal Momentum” optimistic philosophy that emphasizes the power and positive benefits of using each opportunity to build future successful outcomes. The RMF addresses the importance of positivity, education and technology through early youth development that promotes equality in women’s sports and advocates for social justice. RMF provides platforms, programs and resources necessary to encourage growth and develop lifelong skills.

Widely considered one of the greatest shortstops in MLB history,&nbsp;Smith&nbsp;was named to the National Baseball Hall of Fame following a 19-year career with the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals. Nicknamed “The Wizard,” Smith is the all-time assist leader at shortstop with 8,375 assists. Smith was a 15-time All-Star and 13-time Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner.

The&nbsp;Ozzie Smith IMAC Regeneration Center&nbsp;opened in May of 2017. The center establishes personalized protocols for patients using physical therapy, chiropractic, platelet rich plasma, spine decompression, and stem cell rejuvenation in pain management and treatment. Additionally, Smith serves as President of&nbsp;PGA REACH Gateway Foundation, an organization that reaches out to inner city youth and our military via mentoring and golf programs.

The&nbsp;Earl Lloyd Sports Legacy Symposium&nbsp;will be broadcast live on Bally Sports Southeast on&nbsp;Jan. 15, at 3:30 p.m.&nbsp;and will recognize&nbsp;English,&nbsp;Hill,&nbsp;Montgomery&nbsp;and&nbsp;Smith&nbsp;for their dedication and significant contributions to civil and human rights, the social justice movement and for laying the foundation for future leaders through their careers in sports – all in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The multi-day schedule of events begins on&nbsp;Wednesday, Jan. 10, with&nbsp;Visualizing the Dream – A Night of Bringing Dr. King’s Dream to Life Through Artistic Expression. Members of the MENTOR Memphis Grizzlies Youth Advisory Council will give “Teen Talks” which will showcase how Dr. King’s legacy has positively impacted their access to various opportunities for success. This year’s talks will center on the Grizzlies MLK initiative theme of economic mobility. Following “Teen Talks,” 25 local middle school artists will work with local artist&nbsp;Alexis Miché&nbsp;and Grizzlies alum&nbsp;Tony Allen&nbsp;to paint basketballs and reflect on living in Dr. Kings legacy and what their aspirations&nbsp;are,&nbsp;stemming from his “I Have a Dream” speech. The painted basketballs will be displayed at FedExForum Jan. 15 through February.

The&nbsp;Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, presented by&nbsp;FedEx, will be Thursday, Jan. 11. Grizzlies players, in support of the historic&nbsp;Clayborn Temple, will participate in a learning journey designed to provide more insight on the historic 1968 Sanitation Workers Strike and the I AM A MAN campaign. Following the learning journey, Grizzlies players, staff and FedEx volunteers will participate in a service project alongside current sanitation workers benefiting students from Douglass K-8 optional school. Volunteers will engage in a stained-glass making activity reminiscent of the imagery represented in the historic stained glass in Clayborn Temple, as well as pack shelf stable food for more than 500 students at Douglass Optional School.

On Sunday, Jan. 14, honorees and other special guests will tour the National Civil Rights Museum followed by the&nbsp;Intersection of Race and Sport&nbsp;panel, presented by&nbsp;BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, and hosted at the NCRM. The panel will feature WNBA Champion and racial justice advocate, Renee Montgomery, and others and will be centered around economic empowerment. The panel will be moderated by President of the National Civil Rights Museum&nbsp;Dr.&nbsp;Russ Wigginton.

Fans can tune in to the Intersection of Race and Sport conversation live at 6 p.m. at Grizzlies.com/MLK, Memphis Grizzlies on YouTube and civilrightsmuseum.org. Media availability for the National Civil Rights Museum Sports Legacy award honorees and discussion panelists will be at the conclusion of the panel around 7 p.m. Media who wish to attend should RSVP to Kaki Glieber at KGlieber@grizzlies.com. 

The event lineup continues on game day with the annual&nbsp;Earl Lloyd Sports Legacy Symposium, presented by the&nbsp;Hyde Family Foundation, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the Grizzlies Built Ford Tough Training Facility at FedExForum. The symposium, hosted by Grizzlies television play-by-play announcer&nbsp;Pete Pranica, will feature&nbsp;English,&nbsp;Hill,&nbsp;Montgomery&nbsp;and&nbsp;Smith, who will share stories of their community work and experiences through their career in sports. The symposium will feature opening remarks by&nbsp;Grizzlies President Jason Wexler&nbsp;and&nbsp;Dr. Russ Wigginton,&nbsp;President of the National Civil Rights Museum. The symposium will be broadcast live on&nbsp;Bally Sports Southeast. While admission to the symposium is free with the purchase of a ticket to the Grizzlies vs. Warriors game, space is limited. Doors open at 3 p.m.

Fans will also be able to experience the Martin Luther King Jr. Day&nbsp;Mentor Fair&nbsp;beginning at 4:30 p.m. through halftime. Community partners will be on site throughout the Plaza and Big River Steel Terrace Level Concourses at FedExForum to answer questions and discuss volunteer opportunities.

Beginning at 11 a.m. on MLK Day, the Grizzlies are supporting the 3rd annual&nbsp;Race 4 Reconciliation, a 5k or 1 mile Run/Walk in downtown Memphis. Grizz Girls will be on hand to award finishers with their medals.

Tip-off for the Grizzlies vs. Warriors matchup is at 5 p.m. with the&nbsp;National Civil Rights Museum Sports Legacy Award Ceremony, presented by&nbsp;Ford and your Mid-South Ford Dealers, preceding the game. Ford Scholar and NCRM representatives will present the honorees with their Sports Legacy Award before tip-off. In addition, Monday’s game will feature a national anthem by Grammy Award-nominee and Memphian&nbsp;Valerie June. A special halftime performance, presented by&nbsp;Ford and your Mid-South Ford Dealers, will feature June, “Queen of Memphis Soul”&nbsp;Carla Thomas&nbsp;and the&nbsp;Gary Goin Band.

Fans can tune in&nbsp;Monday, Jan. 15, at 5 p.m.&nbsp;to the&nbsp;MLK Celebration Game&nbsp;vs. the Golden State Warriors in a side-by-side telecast, broadcasting regionally on Bally Sports Southeast, presented by&nbsp;FanDuel, and nationally on TNT. Fans will want to tune in early at&nbsp;4:30 p.m.&nbsp;to catch Grizzlies Live, presented by&nbsp;Ford and your Mid-South Ford Dealers&nbsp;featuring Pete Pranica, Brevin Knight, Rob Fischer and Chris Vernon. Local channel listings can be found&nbsp;here.

Fans who want to support the Memphis Grizzlies and purchase 2023-24 single game tickets, including the&nbsp; Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration Game, can do so now by calling (901) 888-HOOP, going online to&nbsp;grizzlies.com/tickets&nbsp;or through the Official Grizzlies Mobile App. For more information on the Grizzlies, visit&nbsp;grizzlies.com, ‘like’ Memphis Grizzlies on Facebook or follow&nbsp;@memgrizz&nbsp;on Twitter/X and Instagram.

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Memphis Grizzlies to honor Alex English, Renee Montgomery and Ozzie Smith with the Sports Legacy Award as part of team's 22nd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration Game

Memphis, Tenn. – The Memphis Grizzlies Foundation and MENTOR Memphis Grizzlies (MMG) today announced their celebration of National Mentoring Month with multiple events throughout January as the organization strives to bring awareness to the mentoring movement, encourage participation within the community and highlight impactful mentoring relationships in the Memphis area.&nbsp;

Harnessing the power and promise of sport to transform lives through mentoring, the Memphis Grizzlies Foundation focuses on funding and developing youth mentoring programs to help students discover and meet their potential. Of the young adults who have a mentor in their lives, 58% have said their mentor has supported their mental health, 69% have felt their mentorship has improved issues related to their education and 74% have agreed their mentor contributed significantly to their success later in life.&nbsp;

MENTOR Memphis Grizzlies tipped-off National Mentoring Month with the first Mentor Spotlight of the month on Tuesday, Jan. 2, when the Grizzlies hosted the San Antonio Spurs. Throughout January, selected mentors will be honored for their work in the community by being highlighted at center court during games and given a team-signed jersey. Memphis Grizzlies Foundation Board Chair and Grizzlies radio analyst Elliot Perry will participate in the second Mentor Spotlight presentation, which will be held tonight, Jan. 3, when the Grizzlies face the Toronto Raptors.&nbsp;

The celebration will continue on Friday, Jan. 5, as the Memphis Grizzlies Foundation hosts 70 mentors and mentoring program staff members at Belltower Coffeehouse and Wine Bar for a Mentor Karaoke Mixer, where guests will have the opportunity to enjoy food and drinks and celebrate their hard work in the community.&nbsp;

The Grizzlies will hold their annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Recruitment Fair at FedExForum on Monday, Jan. 15, ahead of the Grizzlies’ matchup against the Golden State Warriors. Beginning when doors open and ending at the start of the third quarter, volunteers from 20 mentoring programs in the Memphis Grizzlies Foundation network will be available at tables throughout the concourse to discuss their mentoring experiences and recruit potential mentors for their respective programs.&nbsp;

More than 250 mentors, mentees and staff members will gather at FedExForum on Tuesday, Jan. 16, to enjoy the National Mentoring Month Awards Dinner and celebrate excellence in the Memphis mentoring community. Awards will be given for Mentor of the Year, Mentee of the Year, Partnership of the Year, Mentoring Advocate of the Year, Mentoring Program of the Year and Mentoring Practitioner of the Year. The evening will include entertainment and recognition for the people and organizations who generously dedicate their time and resources to ensure the success of young Memphians. &nbsp;

Finally, the Grizzlies will host Mentoring Night at FedExForum on Monday, Jan. 29, as the Grizzlies face the Sacramento Kings. MENTOR Memphis Grizzlies will provide mentoring-themed t-shirts to the first 3,000 fans in attendance, recognize MMG network members throughout various in-game activities and highlight the final Mentor Spotlight of the month.

Fans who want to support the Memphis Grizzlies and purchase 2023-24 single game tickets can do so now by calling (901) 888-HOOP or going online to grizzlies.com/tickets. For more information on the Grizzlies, visit grizzlies.com, ‘like’ Memphis Grizzlies on Facebook or follow @memgrizz on Twitter/X and Instagram. 

National Mentoring Month is led by MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership, the national organization working to expand the quality and quantity of youth mentoring relationships nationwide. Each year since its launch in 2002, National Mentoring Month has enjoyed the strong support of the President and the United States Congress. &nbsp;

ABOUT THE MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES FOUNDATION: &nbsp;

Harnessing the power of sport to transform lives, the Memphis Grizzlies Foundation is dedicated to closing the Opportunity Gap for children in underserved communities and, since 2004, has focused on finding, funding and creating youth mentoring and development programs that prepare students for success in college and career. Through the Foundation, the Grizzlies have invested more than $53.6 million in schools, community organizations and innovative projects that give students the tools to achieve their full potential.&nbsp; In 2012, the team earned the prestigious Beyond Sport Sports Team of the Year award in acknowledgement of its commitment to meaningful community service. The team was named to the 2013 President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition. In 2017, the Foundation was named a finalist for ESPN Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year.

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Memphis Grizzlies celebrate National Mentoring Month with five events in January to recognize and highlight the importance of mentoring young people in Memphis

The Memphis Grizzlies have been active throughout the months of November and December as part of this year’s annual Season of Giving campaign. Every year, Memphis Grizzlies players, coaches and employees spread holiday cheer throughout the Mid-South through various Season of Giving events. As part of the NBA Cares Season of Giving, the Grizzlies strive to make a difference in the lives of underserved families and youth.

To tip-off the team’s Season of Giving efforts, Grizzlies players, staff and family members partnered with&nbsp;Meals of Hope&nbsp;to assemble 50,000 meals to donate to three non-profits in the Mid-South community –&nbsp;My Town Miracles,&nbsp;Mid-South Food Bank&nbsp;and&nbsp;Klondike Smokey City CDC. Each organization received breakfast and dinner meal ingredients to distribute to families living in food deserts throughout Memphis.

Grizzlies staff members and departments adopted&nbsp;40&nbsp;angels through the&nbsp;Salvation Army’s Angel Tree&nbsp;program, which provides the magic of Christmas for thousands of underserved children.&nbsp;The Memphis Grizzlies also participated in Memphis Shelby County School’s annual&nbsp;Operation Warm Hearts&nbsp;clothing drive by donating clothing items and providing new winter accessories to Memphis youth.

GrizzFam, individuals who play supporting roles in the lives of Grizzlies players and staff, teamed up with the&nbsp;Salvation Army&nbsp;to serve Thanksgiving dinner to families at the&nbsp;Purdue Center of Hope. More than 80 women and children attended and participated in craft activities, including cookie decorating and coloring.

The Memphis Grizzlies participated in the annual&nbsp;Foote/South City Resident Holiday Walk-Thru Event&nbsp;for former Foote Homes public housing residents and current low-income residents of Foote Park at&nbsp;South City. Residents received household supplies, meals and the opportunity to learn more about additional resources to support their families during the holiday season.

The Grizzlies encouraged fans to get into the giving spirit by donating to a&nbsp;toy drive&nbsp;benefiting&nbsp;Porter Leath&nbsp;at WMC Action News. Fans who donated a toy or made a monetary contribution received a pair of tickets to an upcoming Grizzlies game.

Additionally, the&nbsp;Memphis Grizzlies Scholars Program&nbsp;hosted its service project at&nbsp;Room in the Inn, as they assisted with cleaning, organizing and revamping resident rooms and storage closets.

Outside of team-organized events, Grizzlies players continue to show their support for Season of Giving through individual efforts. In the spirit of Giving Tuesday,&nbsp;Jaren Jackson Jr.&nbsp;spearheaded his own&nbsp;#MUCHREQUIRED fundraising campaign&nbsp;to support his passions for the arts, education and helping children. Jackson Jr.’s inspiration was drawn from his grandmother and her constant reminder, “To whom much is given, much is required.” Jackson Jr.’s donations supported three Memphis organizations – Girls Inc, Man Up Teacher Fellowship and LITE Memphis.&nbsp;Jackson Jr.&nbsp;also hosted 30 families at the Memphis Zoo to experience the annual&nbsp;Zoo Lights&nbsp;holiday exhibit. Families, who&nbsp;were invited by his Giving Tuesday partners,&nbsp;received gifts from Jackson Jr. and dinner from Wing Guru.

Through Grizzlies Connect, which provides and supports volunteering opportunities for its staff,Desmond Bane&nbsp;and Grizzlies employees visited&nbsp;Oasis of Hope&nbsp;to serve as friendly faces for senior citizens during the holiday season by providing lunch, enjoying sweet treats and playing board games with the residents. Bane covered the cost of items and activities for the seniors and staff members, while Grizzlies Connect volunteers started a necessity closet for the organization. Bane also partnered with Memphis Shelby County Schools to support education through his&nbsp;Holiday Read Along, a holiday-themed reading event to enhance students’ literary capacity and the fun of reading. Lucky students who participated also received books and holiday gifts.

Grizzlies players and coaching staff sponsored a&nbsp;Holiday Suite Night&nbsp;for patients of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Patients and their families received&nbsp;food, gifts, and a special behind-the-scenes look at the team as they watched pregame media interviews and warmups. Head Coach Taylor Jenkins stopped by to visit with patients pregame, and Luke Kennard made a courtside visit to welcome them as well. Additionally,&nbsp;Derrick Rose&nbsp;and&nbsp;John Konchar&nbsp;each hosted their own&nbsp;Family Suite Night&nbsp;for single-mom families and families recommended by local nonprofits to receive Grizzlies suite tickets, food and gifts from their wish list to brighten their holidays.

The Grizzlies and Pepsi teamed up with Kroger in support of the&nbsp;Boys & Girls Club&nbsp;of Greater Memphis for a holiday shopping spree hosted by&nbsp;Bismack Biyombo&nbsp;and Grizzlies announcer&nbsp;Brevin Knight, who were on hand with five families out of 25 who had the chance to shop in-store for the holidays. All 25 families each received $1,000 for their holiday grocery needs. For the second year in a row,&nbsp;David Roddy&nbsp;also contributed to&nbsp;Operation Christmas Basket, a food basket drive for families in Memphis and Shelby County that has served nearly 5,000 people as a continued tradition for over 40 years.

Luke Kennard&nbsp;partnered with&nbsp;Memphis Family Connection Center&nbsp;to provide children at risk and in foster care with gifts for Christmas as part of their&nbsp;Red Tub Day&nbsp;initiative. Items collected from their wish list were sorted and delivered to the Memphis Family Connection Center.

Grizzlies Head Coach&nbsp;Taylor Jenkins&nbsp;also participated in Season of Giving alongside his family as he provided a catered&nbsp;Holiday Feast&nbsp;to a family of 17 through My Town Miracles in an effort to&nbsp;combat food insecurities and support families in need during the holidays.

The Memphis Grizzlies Foundation hosted numerous events throughout Season of Giving to continue to support youth mentoring. Throughout the month of November, the Memphis Grizzlies Foundation joined MENTOR National to promote&nbsp;Thank Your Mentor/Mentee Month, as they highlighted mentors and mentees during Grizzlies home games. Mentors were given the opportunity to express gratitude for their mentee and what they have taught them.

MENTOR Memphis Grizzlies (MMG), TEAM Mentor and&nbsp;Santi Aldama&nbsp;continued Season of Giving with&nbsp;Mould&nbsp;It Like a Mentor, a special holiday pottery class for members of the TEAMmates&nbsp;Mentor Recognition Program at Belltower Coffeehouse and Wine Bar. Attendees enjoyed free food and drinks courtesy of Belltower and got behind the pottery wheel to experience a fun and interactive activity. Aldama&nbsp;also provided 40 mentor-mentee matches from the Grizzlies Foundation’s grantee organizations with the opportunity to attend AutoZone Park’s&nbsp;Deck the Diamond&nbsp;winter wonderland, where participants experienced over 190 holiday light displays, an outdoor ice rink, food and drinks, entertainment and more.

MENTOR Memphis Grizzlies hosted 40 members of the TEAMmates&nbsp;Mentor Recognition Program at&nbsp;Memphis Symphony Orchestra’s&nbsp;annual&nbsp;Magic of Memphis&nbsp;holiday concert at the Cannon Center. MSO generously donated tickets for mentors and mentees to experience the orchestra together for a fun holiday event.

MENTOR Memphis Grizzlies and the TEAM Mentor Program tipped-off their Season of Giving initiatives with an&nbsp;Appreciation Brunch&nbsp;for school site contacts, as well as TEAMmates&nbsp;provider businesses. Guests enjoyed holiday brunch and gifts as the Foundation staff celebrated their hard work, dedication and offerings to each respective program. Additionally, the TEAM Mentor Program celebrated the holidays with a special viewing of&nbsp;A Christmas Carol&nbsp;at Theatre Memphis. After the show, program participants enjoyed lunch, a behind-the-scenes sneak peek of the stage, costumes and props, and participated in an interactive theatre workshop led by Theatre Memphis teaching artists.

The TEAM Mentor Alumni Association supports Season of Giving with their own initiatives, including the&nbsp;Shoe Restoration Service Project. Alumni cleaned and restored 50 pairs of shoes donated from Grizzlies employees and TEAM Mentors, which were gifted to the Hospitality Hub during the Kickback Season of Giving Event on Thursday, Dec. 14.&nbsp;The Alumni Association also hosted 20 Elementary Students from a partnering organization for the&nbsp;TEAM Mentor Alumni Kickback. Students were fitted for their correct shoe size and had an opportunity to shop for their favorite style of shoe as a holiday gift from TEAM Mentor Alumni. Guests also enjoyed food, music, and special holiday surprises. During this event, TEAM Mentor Alumni also honored The Hospitality Hub and formally announced how many shoes were collected, restored, and donated to the organization.

Finally, the TEAM Mentor Program and Memphis Grizzlies Scholars Program teamed up to host program mentors and mentees for their annual&nbsp;Holiday Celebration. Guests enjoyed dinner, holiday treats, and prizes at FedEx Plaza before heading to FedExForum&nbsp;to watch the Memphis Grizzlies take on the Houston Rockets on Friday, Dec. 15.

Fans who want to support the Memphis Grizzlies and purchase 2023-24 single game tickets can do so now by calling (901) 888-HOOP or going online to&nbsp;grizzlies.com/tickets. For more information on the Grizzlies, visit&nbsp;grizzlies.com, ‘like’ Memphis Grizzlies on Facebook or follow&nbsp;@memgrizz&nbsp;on Twitter/X and Instagram.

memphis-grizzlies-celebrate-season-of-giving-in-november-and-december-by-supporting-fellow-memphians-throughout-the-area

Memphis Grizzlies celebrate "Season of Giving" in November and December by supporting fellow Memphians throughout the area

Memphis, Tenn. – The Memphis Grizzlies today announced their new Raise the Rim initiative, a program that will gift Grizzlies-branded basketball hoop systems to local non-profits, schools and community centers that support youth and families, providing them with access to quality equipment to pursue their love for basketball, healthy exercise and fun.&nbsp;

Fans and members of the Memphis community are encouraged to nominate their local organizations, public courts or schools in need of new outdoor basketball hoop systems. Old systems will be removed and replaced with brand new systems, which will include a backboard, pole, rim, net and pole padding.&nbsp;

Nominations are currently open and must be submitted before Jan. 31, 2024. The Grizzlies will begin reviewing nominations in February, and recipients will be notified no later than April 30, 2024. Submitting an online request does not guarantee that nominated organizations will be selected. Organizations can be nominated here for consideration.&nbsp;

Fans who want to support the Memphis Grizzlies and purchase 2023-24 single game tickets can do so now by calling (901) 888HOOP or going online to grizzlies.com/tickets. For more information on the Grizzlies, visit grizzlies.com, ‘like’ Memphis Grizzlies on Facebook or follow @memgrizz on Twitter/X and Instagram.

nominations-now-open-for-memphis-grizzlies-new-raise-the-rim-program-to-gift-outdoor-basketball-hoop-systems-to-select-schools-and-community-centers

Nominations now open for Memphis Grizzlies new “Raise the Rim” program to gift outdoor basketball hoop systems to select schools and community centers

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Grizz Shop Local

<a href="https://fedexforum.com/arena-policy-updates" target="_blank">CLEAR BAGS ONLY: FEDEXFORUM NOW REQUIRES CLEAR BAGS FOR ALL GAMES &amp; EVENTS!</a>