Imagine getting $100 per rebound! Well, that’s just what happened to Pau Gasol of the Los Angeles Lakers—with all of it going to UNICEF.
Last December, U.S. Fund for UNICEF New York Philanthropic Advisory Board member—and NBA insider—David Kleinhandler tossed out a challenge to Pau. David pledged to donate $100 to UNICEF for every rebound Pau pulled down, from that day until the end of the season. Pau’s eyes lit up when he thought of the many children he could help on the court, to go with his advocacy and fundraising support off the court. And on April 17, at the Lakers’ final game of the season, everything came together on behalf of the world’s most vulnerable children.

First, he led the Knicks to the team’s first division title in nearly two decades. Then, after winning gold at the London Olympics, Tyson Chandler brought smiles to the faces of hundreds of children during a UNICEF field visit to Tanzania.
Back in New York, Tyson focused his energies on advocating for UNICEF and assisting our fundraising efforts. That included donating time spent with him at a Knicks practice, for the 2012 Snowflake Ball auction. The Hess family were the lucky winners, and they came together a few weeks ago to spend the day with Tyson. And though they are Knicks season-ticket holders, they had never experienced anything like this.

While the 12-12-12 concert for Sandy Relief was taking place at Madison Square Garden, a few blocks away UNICEF Ambassador Pau Gasol was meeting with U.S. Fund for UNICEF supporters as a reminder that millions of children around the world also need our help. Pau, who has been working with UNICEF for ten years, discussed his recent field visit to Chad (a trip he made after winning a silver medal with Spain in the London Olympics), where he experienced firsthand the efforts UNICEF is undertaking to combat the nutritional crisis in Africa’s Sahel region.

It’s amazing how well young people can communicate without relying on language. Children can overcome a language barrier with a warm smile, a cool handshake or a slick dance move. At least that was the case with the kids we meet on a recent field visit we took to Tanzania with NBA and Olympic basketball star Tyson Chandler.
The very tall (7’1”) center for the New York Knicks was fresh off his gold-medal winning performance with the U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball team in London. But instead of heading back to the U.S. for the many celebrations and parties set to get underway for the triumphant team, Tyson opted to travel to Africa and personally experience the work UNICEF is doing to fight for the survival and development of every child in need.