10.13.21
The Shaquille O'Neal Foundation wants kids in underserved communities back on the courts.
In teaming up with long-time partner Icy Hot, $1 will be donated for each product sold up to $300,000 to create Comebaq Courts. The initiative will refurbish run-down basketball courts in Las Vegas and Newark.
"I'm thrilled to help continue Icy Hot's commitment to young athletes, extending our work last year with the Get Game Ready program," Shaquille O'Neal said. "This collaboration between Icy Hot and The Shaquille O'Neal Foundation to create Comebaq Courts will allow athletes and communities to rise from the struggles of the last year and get back in the game – right in their own backyards."
To raise additional awareness and give supporters a chance to contribute to the cause, Icy Hot and The Shaquille O'Neal Foundation will host the "Icy Hot x NBA 2K22 Charity Game" on gaming platform Twitch on Monday, Oct. 18 from 5-7 p.m. O'Neal will host the event alongside Kristopher London. Top streamers and professional gamers will be in attendance, including WNBA star Aerial Powers, Nicholas Amyoony, and more.
"We could not be more thrilled to partner with The Shaquille O'Neal Foundation for this exciting and worthwhile endeavor of revitalizing healthy places to play, so athletes in underserved communities can get back in the game," said Alberto Hernandez, head of pain and sleep, US Consumer Health at Sanofi. "Our mission has always been to help young athletes rise from pain. As we enter this new normal, we're committed to helping the Las Vegas and Newark communities return to play and are excited to leverage one of young athletes' favorite downtime activities to do it – gaming."
Not all communities have the resources available to rebuild healthy places to play. According to the Aspen Institute, local athletic programs that typically serve youth at scale won't be able to recover at the same pace as larger, organized student sports teams with private resources. The Comebaq Courts project seeks to mitigate such inequities by offering updated spaces for athletes to resume community sports activities.
The court unveiling in Las Vegas will be held Saturday, Oct. 23. The Newark court will be unveiled later this fall. For more details on Comebaq Courts or the Icy Hot x NBA 2K22 Charity Game Twitch event, visit IcyHot.com/GetBackInTheGame.