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'Sport for Healing Fun' Created to Provide Mental Health Resources and Safe Spaces to play for Uvalde Youth
Posted: June 22, 2022 -- 8:41 p.m.
Members of the Texas and national professional sports communities are joining efforts to form the “Sport for Healing Fund.” The fund will provide long-term support for the Uvalde community by creating and investing in trauma and healing-centered care for youth and families. The National Basketball Association (NBA), Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Stars, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs are teaming up to provide the initial funding for the Sport for Healing Fund.
Efforts will be anchored around sports and building safe places, like community outdoor play areas, where young people can play and heal through on-the-ground mental wellness and counseling resources. Spurs Sports & Entertainment (SS&E) is managing the fund in conjunction with San Antonio Area Foundation, which will distribute the investments into the Uvalde community. Fans who would like to join the Texas and national sports community by contributing to the fund are invited to donate here.
“The Uvalde community will forever be thankful for the generous partnerships established to pay tribute and remember our loved ones,” said Rob Fowler, City of Uvalde Parks and Recreation Director. “We are well aware that the road to mental health recovery from this traumatic event is a long journey. However, the youth of our community will heal with the support from our local and national sports community. Physical spaces for healing and resources for mental healthcare are vital to the recovery of our beloved Uvalde community.”
Childhood trauma is a pervasive public health issue across the country. By providing both physical spaces for healing and free resources to children and the adults around them in the Uvalde community, programming through the fund will help reduce the stigma of mental health challenges and decrease the service gap between sport and healing.
Katie Edwards, Senior Vice President of External Affairs, Dallas Mavericks:
“The Dallas Mavericks are here for the community of Uvalde. We are proud to come together with our friends in the NBA and across sports as a united front to provide mental health resources and safe spaces to help Uvalde youth heal and grow.”
Brad Alberts, President and CEO, Dallas Stars:
“The Dallas Stars are proud to partner with the Spurs, Mavericks and Rockets to help provide mental health resources for the Uvalde community. We strongly believe that access to trauma and healing-centered care will have a lasting and meaningful impact for the families and children involved with the inexplicable events of May 24.”
Gretchen Sheirr, President of Business Operations, Houston Rockets:
“The Fertitta Family and the Houston Rockets organization are heartbroken from last month's senseless loss of life. We are honored to join the Spurs, Mavericks and Stars to help bring healing to this shattered Texas community.”
Dr. Kara C. Allen, Chief Impact Officer, Spurs Sports & Entertainment:
“As is the story for so many communities across the United States that have experienced mass shootings, the road to healing for our neighbors and family in Uvalde is long. Our role as a united sports family is to use what we know to get community what it needs. Bigger than professional sports and team alliances, we can and must center healing together. Our collective future depends on it.”
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