April 2 – April 8

Welcome to week two of the Sports Doing Good newsletter. What we learned from week one was that there are a lot of people who like to read good news! Not really surprising but nice nonetheless to receive such positive feedback.

This week athletes seemed to be front and center when it came to inspiring and impressive efforts on and off the field of play. Athletes Doing Good also gave us the “Do-Gooder of the Week.” We are proud to select women’s college basketball student-athlete Brittney Griner. In addition to her individual achievements, she was an integral part of the National Champion Baylor Lady Bears basketball team.

If you think others would like to receive the newsletter, please feel free to forward it on or have them contact us. You are both our audience and our best source of stories.

So enjoy. And have a good week.

Fun Doing Good:

Bill Murray slides into home before delivering the first pitch at Wrigley Field (video)
Charged with throwing out the season’s first pitch at Wrigley Field, Murray decided to go an impromptu jog around the bases before sliding into home at Kerry Wood’s urging. http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/bill-murray-slides-home-delivering-first-pitch-wrigley-002452397.html

Ronaldo, Nadal Featured in Nike Commercial for New Soccer Cleats (behind the scenes) http://youtu.be/854ROqh9TJQ

Two Blake Griffin dunks over Pau Gasol (we will love you Pau!)
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/video-blake-griffin-dunked-over-pau-gasol-twice-130136678.html …and some more! (this time on the Mavs) http://sports.yahoo.com/video/player/news/Sports_Minute/28779067#news/Sports_Minute/28779067

Ridiculously Photogenic Guy’ picture from 10k race goes viral
It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you look when they take your picture. For 25-year-old Zeddie Little of New York, an affable smile amidst the pain of long-distance running that was captured during a 10k race in Charleston, S.C. turned him into a viral phenomenon knows as “Really Photogenic Guy.” Nearly 1.4 million people have viewed the picture in recent days on Flickr and it has been uploaded countless times to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/olympics-fourth-place-medal/ridiculously-photogenic-guy-picture-10k-race-goes-viral-143529070.html

Athletes Doing Good:

Yale’s Aleca Hughes wins Hockey Humanitarian Award
Yale women’s hockey player Aleca Hughes, whose efforts to help save lives are inspired by former teammate Mandi Schwartz, has been named winner of the Hockey Humanitarian Award. The award, which is open to every male and female NCAA hockey player in Division I and Division III, was presented to Hughes in a ceremony on Friday night as part of the NCAA Frozen Four in Tampa, Fla. http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2012/04/06/sports/doc4f7f78251ac38227667101.txt

Ryan Newman helping animal shelter destroyed by fire
Three days after winning the Sprint Cup race at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, Ryan Newman began helping an animal shelter destroyed by fire in South Dakota. Newman’s charitable foundation is sending 25 dog kennels to the Battle Mountain Humane Society facility near Hot Springs, S.D., which was destroyed by an electrical fire on Wednesday. http://aol.sportingnews.com/nascar/story/2012-04-06/ryan-newman-ryan-newman-foundation-animal-shelter-fire

Irish golfer Rory McIloy and UNICEF in global partnership
Irish golfer Rory McIlroy and UNICEF today announced a major extension of their global partnership as he unveiled his new golf bag featuring the UNICEF logo on the front. In addition to his UNICEF-branded bag, Rory will continue to support UNICEF’s work for children across the world as an Ambassador for UNICEF Ireland. http://www.unicef.org/media/media_62161.html

Shaun Phillips & Hope Solo ‘Game Changers’ for Charity
Fans who see a problem in their community are asked to nominate an idea/charity/cause they want their favorite athlete to support…submissions will be reviewed by participating athletes and one winner will be chosen…popchips for life and helping your community? Sounds crunchy-good to us. Participating athletes include soccer star Hope Solo and San Diego Chargers linebacker Shaun Phillips.  http://www.athlebrities.com/2012/04/03/shaun-phillips-hope-solo-game-changers-for-charity/

Brittney Griner wins three awards
The trophy cases at Baylor might need to be expanded. Monday, Baylor center Brittney Griner picked up a trio of honors: the Wade Trophy, the Naismith Trophy and the WBCA defensive player of the year award. http://espn.go.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/7768254/baylor-brittney-griner-named-recipient-wade-trophy

Incredible blind runner competes in sprints, sets school’s pole vault record
At the Texas Relays, one of the nation’s most prestigious prep track and field events, a 14-year-old freshman turned heads with her blazing speed in the 400 meters and impressive height in the pole vault. Her name in Charlotte Brown, and it turns out that the most impressive part about her feats isn’t that she’s only a freshman — it’s that she is legally blind. http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/highschool-prep-rally/incredible-blind-runner-competes-sprints-sets-school-pole-114952450.html

Additional Stories

New Mexico senior throws three straight no-hitters, including a 12-strikeout perfect game
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/highschool-prep-rally/mexico-senior-throws-three-straight-no-hitters-including-151302705.html

Hope & A Future Enlists Michael Oher to Kick-Off Awareness Walk, April 7
http://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?resourceid=5094359&access=EH

Blind surfer fulfills inspirational dream by riding waves at Pipeline
http://www.grindtv.com/surf/blog/32935/blind+surfer+fulfills+inspirational+dream+by+riding+waves+at+pipeline/

Kobe Bryant Meets With 105-Year-Old Fan
http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/dish/201204/kobe-bryant-gets-advice-105-year-old-fan

Leagues Doing Good:

NBA Green Week 2012
From April 4-11, 2012 the NBA will partner will the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) for the third annual NBA Green Week in an effort to generate awareness and funds for protecting the environment. NBA Green Week is just one of the ways the league, its teams and players are taking steps to be more environmentally friendly. Throughout the week the NBA will highlight league, team and player environmental initiatives including in-arena awareness nights, recycling programs and hands-on service projects. http://www.nba.com/green/mission.html

In tough economy, WWE WrestleMania still draws top dollars, numbers
With a sell-out crowd of 78,363 fans from all 50 states and 36 countries, the annual pop culture extravaganza became Sun Life Stadium’s largest attended event and highest grossing entertainment event in history.  http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/04/05/2732707/in-tough-economy-wwe-wrestlemania.html

AVP pro beach volleyball tour has new ownership
AOS Group LP has purchased the assets of the bankrupt AVP professional beach volleyball tour. AOS owner Donald Sun says it will take time to relaunch the tour, which shut down during the 2010 season. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/04/02/sports/s115858D44.DTL#ixzz1rPBA0Bip

Organizations Doing Good:

MLBAM celebrates Opening Day with interactive photo & mobile video exhibit capturing the inspiring imagery of the walk-off HR
Visitors to the collection will have the chance to see 50 iconic images of the walk-off home run, courtesy of Getty Images, and also to use QR code and text messaging technology to instantly watch the art come to life through mobile video highlights on their smartphones. All 30 Major League Clubs are represented in this collection, including many of the most renowned walk-off home runs from players like Mickey Mantle, Ichiro Suzuki, Bobby Thomson, Derek Jeter, Carlton Fisk and David Ortiz.  http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120402&content_id=27838444&vkey=pr_mlbcom&c_id=mlb

Sports expand for people with disabilities; Access and variety increase as more people want to get in the game
The bike was specially designed to help 13-year-old Josh Silvern overcome disabilities that affect his balance. But his mom hopes cycling — and other adaptive sports — will help bring another kind of balance to his life too. Silvern received the bike in December from the Variety Club, a charitable children’s organization, during the Chicago Wheelchair Bulls’ Day for Kids. http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/ct-x-disability-exercise-20120404,0,2390428.story

Fenway Park Goes Blue for Autism Awareness Day (Photos)
Fenway Park was one of several sites worldwide that planned to “light it up blue” Monday night for World Autism Awareness Day. Light It Up Blue is an annual event created by Autism Speaks that aims to raise awareness about the disorder. Iconic landmarks from around the world — including the Empire State Building, Eiffel Tower and Sydney Opera House — put on blue lights to show their support for autism.
http://www.nesn.com/2012/04/fenway-park-goes-blue-for-autism-awareness-day.html

NASM Offers Coaches Free Access to Sports Training and Injury-Prevention Courses for Youth Sports Safety Month
April is Youth Sports Safety Month, a time to stop and acknowledge the fact that more than 3.5 million sports-related injuries in youth under age 15 are treated in the U.S. each year. These injuries fall into two categories: acute injuries (sprains or breaks that occur suddenly) and overuse injuries, resulting from improper or non-existent training. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/nasm-offers-coaches-free-access-to-sports-training-and-injury-prevention-courses-for-youth-sports-safety-month-2012-04-04

People Doing Good:

Rebels Who Changed Their Sport Reunite
Dalton, now 74, was a member of the Original Nine, a group of women who defied the tennis establishment in 1970 and started their own tour. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/08/sports/tennis/rebels-who-changed-womens-tennis-reunite.html?_r=1&ref=sports#

A Magic buy: Johnson’s group lands Dodgers
It’s a beautiful day in Los Angeles. The high today is expected to be 67 degrees, and partly sunny. Winds are expected to come from the west at 10 to 15 miles per hour. Oh, and Earvin “Magic” Johnson is playing point again, this time at the head of a group of investors buying the Los Angeles Dodgers.
http://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/news/2012/03/28/a-magic-buy-johnsons-group-gets-dodgers.html?ana=e_vert

Gym’s charity idea is eggs-cellent
…But with the temptation of Easter looming, and shops filled with chocolate eggs, the 30-year-old manager came up with a novel idea of stopping his clients from undoing all of their hard work. Mr Pickup placed a ‘drop-off box’ in the sport centre’s reception in Lisle Road, and, along with fitness instructor Scott Backhurst, 23, encouraged users to donate chocolate eggs for charity – instead of eating them. http://www.shieldsgazette.com/news/gym-s-charity-idea-is-eggs-cellent-1-4425285

Women United F.C.: A Launch of Its Own
When Kristi Colvin curled up on her living room couch to watch Sporting Kansas City’s 2011 season opener, her expectations were low and her sense of obligation was high. Colvin, the chief executive of the Kansas City, Mo.-based creative services agency Fresh ID, had done some promotional work with the team but had never seen a Major League Soccer match before and did not know what to expect. http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/05/women-united-f-c-a-launch-of-its-own/?ref=sports

Teams Doing Good:

Inspirational message hidden on new Carolina Panthers’ jerseys
The Carolina Panthers’ jerseys will have the words “Keep Pounding” stitched on the collars of their jerseys for the upcoming season, an inspirational nod to the team’s late linebacker and assistant coach Sam Mills.  http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/inspirational-message-hidden-carolina-panthers-jerseys-153123461.html

Aspen Dental and Stewart-Haas Racing Celebrate Smiles at This Weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway
One very special Aspen Dental patient will spend this weekend’s Goody’s Fast Relief 500 race in Martinsville, Va., speeding around the track — from the back panel Ryan Newman’s No. 39 Outback Steakhouse Chevy. Bethany Godin, a patient of the Aspen Dental office located in Worcester, MA will have her smile featured on the car based on a review she wrote at AspenDentalReviews.com. http://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?resourceid=5092132&access=EH

Members of Sac State soccer inspire underprivileged kids to pursue goals
The men and women of Sacramento State soccer are teaming up to act as role models, and to inspire underprivileged children at Howe Avenue Elementary School to chase their dreams and never give up. http://www.statehornet.com/sports/members-of-sac-state-soccer-inspire-underprivileged-kids-to-pursue/article_d43f7ad0-7877-11e1-8de6-001a4bcf6878.html

Constellation Energy Powers Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks Environmental Goals With First Green Games as Earth Month Begins
Constellation Energy, the official energy provider for United Center and sponsor of the teams’ first green games this past weekend, invites Bulls and Blackhawks fans to continue their support for the environment by joining Constellation’s Earth Month Hero contest on Facebook. Fans are encouraged to upload images showing how they save energy. http://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?resourceid=5103040&access=EH

Media Doing Good:

(new book)
Sport for Development and Peace: A Critical Sociology by Simon Darnell
http://www.sportanddev.org/en/connect/myinfo.cfm?4304%2FSport-for-Development-and-Peace-A-Critical-Sociology