June 18 – June 24

Welcome to week thirteen of the Sports Doing Good newsletter.

Each week we capture in this newsletter news stories that detail acts by a variety of people, organizations, teams, etc. that inspire, assist, or motivate those who directly and indirectly may need support in some way. This week we came across the very famous (LaDanian Tomlinson, John Cena, Cristiano Ronaldo) and not-so-famous but equally impressive individuals (Nick Hamilton (“Do-Gooder of the Week”), Eric Dompierre) and organizations (Play 31, GOALS Haiti, Girls and Football SA).

We also highlight the acts themselves, whether they come in the form of a photo (NHRA race), music video (baseball draftees), concert (Hot Stove Cool Music), events (Steve Nash’s pick-up soccer game, BOSS’ school fundraiser, the Jay Gallagher Memorial lacrosse tournament, Kicking & Screening film festival), an upcoming movie (Josh Hamilton) or the visual arts (the great LeRoy Neiman). Whether in word, video, music, the graphic arts or a combination thereof, we are fortunate each week to consume so much good.

Please continue to send along your stories. You are both our audience and our best source of stories. Finally, if you think others would like to receive the newsletter, please feel free to forward it on or have them contact us directly at sab@sportsdoinggood.com. (If you do not want to receive the newsletter anymore you can use the Unsubscribe button at the end of the newsletter.)

So enjoy. And have a good week.

Fun Doing Good:

Drag race ends with 0.0000 seconds between winner, loser (photo)
“Drag racing used to be a sport of shade-tree mechanics and pink-slip swapping, but modern drag racers rely on technology and finely honed skills as much as any other professional motorsport. Here’s an example: this Sunday’s NHRA final that saw the winner and the loser separated by less than one-ten thousandth of a second — with 0.0000 seconds between the two cars — thanks to one driver’s awe-inspiring reflexes.”  http://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/drag-race-ends-0-0000-seconds-between-winner-234307546.html

Five top MLB Draft prospects’ take on the “Call Me Maybe” craze: “Draft Me Maybe”
This song is everywhere! http://mlbfancave.mlb.com/fancave/video.jsp?content_id=22019163#fbid=F4E7r64B-z7

Athletes Doing Good

LaDainian Tomlinson, the NFL’s fifth all-time leading rusher, is retiring
LaDainian Tomlinson’s brilliant NFL career will officially end when he ceremoniously rejoins the San Diego Chargers for a day. The Chargers said Sunday that Tomlinson, who was the NFL MVP in 2006 with San Diego and is the fifth-leading rusher in league history, will re-sign with the team on Monday and then announce his retirement. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/football/nfl/06/17/tomlinson.retirement.ap/index.html#ixzz1yR41iTxy

Baseball player excels despite deafness (video)
Nick Hamilton is the designated hitter for the Kent State Golden Flashes, but he’s not hearing the roar of the crowd. http://tinyurl.com/864uy58

Cristiano Ronaldo and his agent are paying for a nine-year-old’s cancer treatment
Nuhazet, a 9-year-old boy from Las Palmas, Spain, has been battling cancer since before his second birthday. When he met Cristiano Ronaldo before Real Madrid’s final match of the season last month, it was supposed to be the fulfillment of a final wish for a young boy who had already endured a lifetime of suffering, but it turned into the start of a renewed fight backed by Ronaldo and his agent, Jorge Mendes. http://tinyurl.com/6vevy83

WWE superstar John Cena grants 300th Make-A-Wish, more than Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant
WWE superstar John Cena granted his 300th wish to a 7-year-old Pennsylvania boy with a spinal condition, continuing his streak as the most popular celebrity granter in Make-A-Wish Foundation history. http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/wwe-superstar-john-cena-becomes-record-wish-granter-with-300th-make-a-wish/2012/06/20/gJQAvlwbqV_story.html

(Jim) Kelly, (Pat) LaFontaine, (Charlie) Kimball Honored with Jefferson Awards
Hall of Fame QB, Hall of Fame Center and Auto Racer Among 17 Honored with ‘Nobel Prize for Public Service’ http://sabres.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=635372

Additional Story
New study shows school sports improve grades, all while districts wrangle with cuts  http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/highschool-prep-rally/study-shows-school-sports-improve-grades-while-more-221934443.html

Events Doing Good:

Business of Sports School (BOSS) holding annual fundraising event June 26 in New York City
Founded in 2009, BOSS is an innovative Career & Technical high school. The school will proudly have its first graduating class in 2013. On Tuesday, June 26, from 6:00-8:00 p.m., BOSS will host their annual fundraising event at the New York Athletic Club Hall of Fame (180 Central Park South). The BOSS school is a terrific cause, and this event promises to be a great celebration of the upcoming London Games with Olympic guests, VIP’s and BOSS students and teachers. www.fegs.org/boss/juneevent

Steve Nash’s Showdown in Chinatown Coming June 27
For the fifth year running, NBA superstar point guard Steve Nash is returning to the turf fields of the Lower East Side for the annual Showdown in Chinatown. June 27 was the date chosen (kickoff 6:30 pm) for the eight-a-side footy friendly, which has become an uber-popular event since its inception. The summertime exhibition is a local charity event that ultimately benefits the Steve Nash Foundation, which provides under-served children with medical support, education, and personal development. http://www.stevenash.org/showdown/

Theo Epstein and Peter Gammons Host Hot Stove Cool Music in Chicago to Benefit Charity
Music and baseball collided at Metro as Cubs Baseball Operations President Theo Epstein joined megastar musicians The Smashing Pumpkins, The Figgs, Jenny Dee and the Deelinquents, Company of Thieves and the Hot Stove All-Stars featuring Hall of Fame Writer Peter Gammons and members of Buffalo Tom to raise approximately $250,000 for charity at the inaugural Hot Stove Cool Music Chicago Benefit Concert. Cubs’ broadcasters Len Kasper and Bob Brenly lent their famous voices to the musical/comedy ensemble, which also featured the emcee talents of actors and comedians Mike O’Malley, Jeff Garlin and Joel Murray.

Lacrosse tourney raises sprits, funds
Danny Collins, 18, a student at South Side High School in Rockville Centre, scored three goals Sunday in the 15th annual Jay Gallagher Memorial Foundation Lacrosse Tournament. But no one was keeping score. Collins, who has Down syndrome, was playing for one of two challenger teams, which comprise children and young adults with disabilities. http://www.newsday.com/long-island/lacrosse-tourney-raises-spirits-funds-1.3788054

2012 Global Peace Games for War Affected Children and Youth 21st June to 21st September 2012
PLAY SOCCER founded the Global Peace Games in 2001 to promote a global network of children and youth committed to a culture of friendship, understanding and peace. The Global Peace Games are “grass roots” soccer games that take place under the initiative of PLAY SOCCER and are organized by organizations and communities around the world. The Games are linked by common themes and encourage children and youth to share and celebrate the values and skills they learn on the playing field through sport and to find peaceful solutions in their daily lives and communities.  http://www.aymu.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=108&Itemid=154. For details on available Volunteer & Internship details, kindly visit http://is.gd/Hp1wRM

Media Doing Good:

Kicking and Screening Coming Back to a Theater Near You
“Kicking + Screening (K+S) Film Festival, the world’s premier international film event dedicated solely to football/soccer, is returning to New York City this summer. K+S New York 2012 runs from Wednesday, June 27, through Saturday, June 30. For the third year in a row, all films will screen at Tribeca Cinemas in downtown Manhattan.” http://kickingandscreening.com/

TITLE IX, 40 YEARS LATER: Broadcasters continue to give a voice to the legacy
They are the ones who continue to give the Title IX era its voice. As much as that piece of legislation did for the advancement of women’s sports over the past 40 years, it might have had an equal to or greater impact on equalizing the sports media business. Or, at the very best, making it far more provocative.  http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_20913923/title-ix-40-years-later-broadcasters-lend-voices

Thunder Road, Casey Affleck Plan Feature About Baseball Superstar Josh Hamilton
Josh Hamilton’s rise from the depths of an addiction to crack to become the American League’s most feared slugger is dramatic enough to have been scripted. Sure enough, Hamilton has entrusted his rights to producer Basil Iwanyk and Thunder Road Pictures to be shopped for a feature that will be written and directed by Casey Affleck.  http://www.deadline.com/2012/06/thunder-road-casey-affleck-plan-feature-about-baseball-superstar-josh-hamilton/

Euro Cup fever grips Austin’s soccer bars; Tournament turning out large, enthusiastic crowds.
Euro Cup 2012 is making its presence felt in the United States, more than doubling TV ratings and carving a slice of the sports pie in Austin. The tournament that every four years determines the best country in Europe is luring big crowds to soccer-friendly Austin bars at a typically dead time of the year.  http://www.statesman.com/sports/euro-cup-fever-grips-austins-soccer-bars-2401802.html

Organizations Doing Good:

Play 31 – The Unifying Power of Football
Imagine this: one village hosting a visiting team. The visiting team arrives early in the morning and after a few activities for the villagers to get to know each other, there are 3 football (soccer) matches–the junior game, the women’s game and the men’s match. After all this football playing there’s a big communal dinner and then an all night disco. Sounds like a pretty fun day, right? Now imagine that the villages have been in conflict with each for several years (or sometimes decades!) and this is the first time they’re coming together. It all becomes amazing, almost incredible! This is exactly what Play31 does in 3 rural areas in Sierra Leone–Kono, Kailahum, and Moyamba. http://www.peaceissexy.net/play31-unifying-power-of-football/

Girls & Football SA focusing on the development of girls and young women through sport
The award-winning Girls & Football SA focuses on the development of girls and women through sport, media and education. In this short video, the role of football in creating a safe space for girls and women in South Africa is explored, with a specific focus on the prevalence of ‘corrective’ rape in the country. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8O6D6pkhQE

The Union between Peace and Sport and International Federations is a driving force for peace at grassroots level
A year after SportAccord and Peace and Sport signed a strategic alliance, 35 member federations are working to give a new chance to young people in crisis-hit countries.  http://www.peace-sport.org/images/stories/newsletter/cp_sportaccord_2012.html

Improving Health in Haiti, From Kids to Communities (GOALS Haiti)
This month, we are bringing communities in Léogane, Haiti health seminars that focus on preventing diseases such as cholera, sexual health and decision-making, diabetes, and oral hygiene. Our partner clinic, Klinik Kominote, will provide services and technical training. Our emphasis on healthcare ties into our broader mission of improving quality of life for participants on a daily basis.  http://goalshaiti.org/2012/06/improving-health-in-haiti-from-kids-to-communities/

The U.S. Department of State and ESPNW Global Sports Mentoring Program
As part of their efforts to empower women and girls through sports, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and ESPN President John Skipper announced today the U.S. Department of State and espnW Global Sports Mentoring Program. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/06/193595.htm

Additional Stories
FIFA: 2014 WCup 1st with full sustainability plan. http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/soccer/story/FIFA-2014-WCup-1st-with-full-sustainability-plan-49866974

National Football League donating $2.5 million for youth football fields. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/06/16/league-donating-2-5-million-for-youth-football-fields/

People Doing Good:

Eric Dompierre spearheads effort to have the age-limit-rule in Michigan (video)
Eric Dompierre is a 19-year-old high school student with Down Syndrome who helped get the age-limit rule changed, so he can play sports as a senior and to give similar opportunities to those in Michigan and potentially in other states as well. http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=7992850

UN Sports Envoy Continues Quest to Strengthen Sport for Social Change
Today, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace, Wilfried Lemke, is in Berlin to address a special session of the German Parliament’s Sports Committee on International Sports Policy. Last week, his mandate took him successively to Kuwait, Poland and Switzerland, where he continued his work as a facilitator and advocate in promoting sport as a catalyst for social change.  http://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/sport/home/template/news_item.jsp?cid=36317

(RIP: LeRoy Neiman)
LeRoy Neiman dies at 91; artist depicted sports in bold strokes
LeRoy Neiman, a wildly successful American artist who was famous for his colorful portraits of athletes in motion and who became an artistic fixture at such major sporting events as the Olympics and the Super Bowl, has died. He was 91. http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jun/20/local/la-me-leroy-neiman-20120621

Teams Doing Good

Dodgers put new twist on the soldier surprise moment with Father’s Day first pitch (video)
That’s why what happened at Dodger Stadium on Sunday was particularly noteworthy. Instead of U.S. Marine Corporal Christopher Farias surprising his father Lawrence after a ceremonial first pitch, it was the other way around. Watch what happens as Christopher Farias completes what he thinks is just a throw to commemorate his selection as the “veteran of the game. http://tinyurl.com/7ywoomg

England is European Champion (sort of); Major Surprise as Poland Secures Runner-Up Spot Ahead of Germany
RESPONSIBALL, the social responsibility platform for clubs, has today published its second annual social responsibility ranking: tracking the websites of nearly 270 clubs in Europe’s top divisions and comparing the information against social responsibility indicators derived from international standards. http://www.x-range.net/newsletter/display.php?M=7&C=230d5cc43dd6120d63ebbb8eadc120c5&S=151&L=8&N=40