By Shana Selender
This year, August felt much like March Madness in the Mid-Atlantic States region. Two dynamic basketball sponsorships kept Kaiser Permanente employees and community partners engaged and involved in West Baltimore.
As the lead sponsor of The Basketball Tournament (TBT) — a $2 million, single-elimination tournament — Kaiser Permanente worked with the Mayor of Baltimore and community leaders to bring the competition to Baltimore during the first week of August. Both a semi-final round and a championship game were played at Coppin State University and featured 64 teams made up of college players, professionals and neighborhood legends.
However, it was about more than sport and skill. The semi-final and championship games were aired on ESPN and cast a bright, positive light on local progress, innovation and Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to the health of Baltimore residents. Several Kaiser Permanente employees and members of the community participated in a related “Day of Giving,” as well.
Tuesday, August 8th, Washington Mystics Center, Krystal Thomas joined Kaiser Permanente to host a fitness clinic for more than 75 boys and girls at the Penn North Safe Kids Zone. The children trained side-by-side with Thomas and learned about fitness and nutrition. The clinic is part of a national partnership between the NBA and Kaiser Permanente to teach the value of teamwork, discipline and leadership, while instilling the important message of total health – mind, body and spirit. Since 2015, the NBA and Kaiser Permanente, have hosted more than 30 FIT clinics, engaging more than 3,500 youth in local communities around the United States.
For more about this great work, check out the following news coverage:
The Baltimore Sun
Baltimore kids learn about exercise and nutrition at WNBA clinic in Penn North
