University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels To Deliver Thanksgiving Good Will Thursday Night
November 17, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 17, 2005
CHAPEL HILL - On Thursday, November 17, for the fifth straight year NBA All-Stars Jerry Stackhouse (Dallas Mavericks) and Antawn Jamison (Washington Wizards) are joining forces with the Carolina men's basketball team and coaches to give back at Thanksgiving. Brendan Haywood, Jamison's former UNC teammate and current Washington Wizards' teammate, will also join in to contribute for the second consecutive year.
The three NBA stars and former Tar Heels have purchased approximately 100 gift bags full of toys and other items for the defending men's national college basketball champions to distribute to sick children at the North Carolina's Children Hospital. Afterwards, the men will visit the IFC Homeless Shelter to sign autographs and deliver turkeys, provided by Livis Freeman of 4ourFans, Inc.
Freeman, who created this project, provides public relations and fan appreciation services for numerous pro athletes, including Jamison and Stackhouse. He purchased the items and assembled the gift bags on behalf of Jamison, Stackhouse and Haywood and will represent them as he accompanies the team to both places, which are located in Chapel Hill, after they finish practicing on Thursday.
"We just wanted to set a good example for the current players by providing some toys and gifts for them to give to the kids in the hospital around the holiday," says Haywood. "Being sick and in the hospital is tough enough for little kids but it must be even harder to deal with during the holidays. We hope this small gesture will be meaningful for them and let them know that there are people out there who care about them."
All-Stars Jamison and Stackhouse are two of the most generous players in the NBA. Stackhouse has won the NBA's highest honor for giving back (the NBA Community Assist Award) twice and Jamison has won it as well. Jamison is also the winner of the 2005 Magic Johnson Award, presented to the player who combines excellence on the court with outstanding cooperation with the media and fans.
Carolina won its second exhibition game of the season on Saturday, November 12, 89-63, over Catawba behind David Noel's team-high 18 points. The team returns to action on Saturday, November 19, in their regular-season opener against Gardner-Webb at 8 pm.
