Pau Gasol: A champion on and off the court

I recently had the pleasure of joining Los Angeles area supporters at an event graciously hosted by newly elected board member, Marisa Zanuck. It was a joy to come together with supporters and share the experiences and sentiments that unite us for children; we were fortunate to have in attendance a very special guest, NBA Los Angeles Laker and UNICEF Spain Ambassador Pau Gasol.

Pau was named UNICEF Spain Ambassador in 2003. Since then, he has been an unyielding partner in our mission to save children's lives having visited UNICEF programs in South Africa, Angola and Ethiopia, supporting UNICEF's lifesaving work in the aftermath of emergencies, and leading the 2010 KIMBO campaign in Spain.

	UNICEF
	Pau Gasol, Ambassador for UNICEF Spain, plays a basketball match with students in a school in Luanda during a field visit to UNICEF activities in Angola.

I recently had the pleasure of joining Los Angeles area supporters at an event graciously hosted by newly elected board member, Marisa Zanuck. It was a joy to come together with supporters and share the experiences and sentiments that unite us for children; we were fortunate to have in attendance a very special guest, NBA Los Angeles Laker and UNICEF Spain Ambassador Pau Gasol.

Pau was named UNICEF Spain Ambassador in 2003. Since then, he has been an unyielding partner in our mission to save children's lives having visited UNICEF programs in South Africa, Angola and Ethiopia, supporting UNICEF's lifesaving work in the aftermath of emergencies, and leading the 2010 KIMBO campaign in Spain.

The KIMBO campaign is about child survival and helping people to understand that a small contribution can make a dramatic difference. In the story, Pau goes to Africa to transmit his strength to the ones who need it most. It is a story about making a better world for children - a mission that Pau has made his own, and a responsibility he gladly bears.

Pau answered questions from guests and talked about what it was like to see firsthand the situation of children in the countries he has visited. He spoke passionately about why we must continue to fight for the rights of children and what each of us can do in supporting UNICEF and its partners to ensure that children have access to basic rights such as health and education.

A champion on and off the court, Pau's dedication, compassion, and generosity are nothing short of inspiring. We could not be more grateful to Pau, as well as our friends at the NBA for their phenomenal history of support for the world's children.