Skyhook Foundation and Adidas Partner to Expand Opportunities for Inner-City Youth Education
“It is tremendously appreciated to have Adidas dedicate such generous support for increasing the number of children who can attend Camp Skyhook.”
Los Angeles, California, January 15, 2015. Today Adidas launched its limited-edition “Black History Month Collection,” inspired by the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and founder of Skyhook Foundation, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. And with a portion of sales being contributed to fund “Camp Skyhook at Clear Creek,” the release promises the opportunity to inspire a “launch” of a very different kind – the future career of high-earning jobs for disadvantaged children from the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Camp Skyhook, a program operated by LAUSD’s “Beyond the Bell” Branch and supported by funding from Kareem’s Skyhook Foundation, is an immersive, hands-on experience for 4th and 5th graders, designed to encourage a thirst for learning within the “STEM” subjects of science, technology, engineering and math. During a 5-day adventure within the Angeles National Forest (less than an hour’s drive from downtown Los Angeles), children are immersed in nature itself through a multidimensional, multi-sensory experience. For a majority of these children, Camp Skyhook represents their first long-term interaction within a natural, outdoor environment. Each Adidas basketball shoe model and specialty packaging from the Black History Month Collection features sepia tones, inspirational quotes and details that provide a vivid journey through the four most important eras of Kareem’s legendary and record-breaking career:
Crazy 8 – “Fundamentals are the Foundation for Excellence – ‘61 –‘65”
J Wall 1 – “Rules are What Make the Game Challenging – ’65 – ‘69”
D Rose 5 Boost – “The Hook Shot is Worth a Thousand Words – ’69 – ‘75”
D Lillard – “When the Music Changes, so Does the Dance – ’75 – ‘89”
“I’m honored that Adidas has chosen to recognize the milestones of my career through this collection,” said Mr. Abdul-Jabbar. “And it is entirely appropriate and tremendously appreciated to have Adidas dedicate such generous support for increasing the number of children who can attend Camp Skyhook.” Adidas athletes will debut the exclusive collection during the NBA games hosted on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and continue to wear them during select games throughout February – celebrating Black History Month, and paying tribute to African-American role models like Kareem. Mr. Abdul-Jabbar is the author of numerous books for adults and children, including What Color Is My World: The Lost History of African-American Inventors, which highlights the unsung heroes and innovators whose STEM-based ingenuity and perseverance against great odds made our world safer, better, and brighter. To help a child experience Camp Skyhook, please visit: www.indiegogo.com/project/preview/25e7e069 The Crazy 8 ($110), J Wall 1 ($115), D Rose 5 Boost ($140) and D Lillard ($105) roll out in January and February at adidas.com. Follow the adidas Basketball Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more exclusive content. For more information on the Skyhook Foundation or to make donations, visit www.skyhookfoundation.org View the Skyhook Foundation press release
