Kicks from 'Cats Set for Saturday, WhiteOut Belk Arena vs. Coll. of Charleston
1/23/2011 3:51:11 PM | Men's Basketball, 'Cats in the Community
Davidson, N.C. — The Davidson Wildcats will hold the third annual Kicks from 'Cats event when they host the College of Charleston Saturday at 2 p.m.
This year's event features a WhiteOut promotion, a shoe drive and a silent auction, and proceeds will benefit Access to Success (A2S), the foundation recently incorporated by former men's basketball player Andrew Lovedale '09, and long-time partner Samaritan's Feet. With a partnership rooted in the inaugural Kicks from 'Cats, which raised over 10,500 pairs of shoes and $15,000, the two organizations are planning a return trip to Benin City, Nigeria this summer.
Collection bins will be in the lobby of Belk Arena at the men's basketball games against both The Citadel (January 22) and the College of Charleston (January 29), and those donating a pair of new athletic shoes will receive a voucher for a free ticket to any Davidson game in February.
Special white Kicks from 'Cats t-shirts are now available for purchase in the Davidson College Bookstore and 'Cats on Main, as well as the men's basketball game against The Citadel game on Wednesday, January 22. T-shirts are $10, and a second t-shirt may be purchased for $5 to be donated. Proceeds from shirt sales will benefit this summer's A2S/Samaritan's Feet trip to Nigeria to deliver the collected shoes and donated t-shirts.
Kicks from 'Cats will also include a silent auction, featuring Davidson Wildcat memorabilia such as a Stephen Curry-autographed jersey and an Elite Eight starting backcourt autographed basketball, as well as donations from local vendors.
For more information about Kicks from 'Cats—contact Richard Agner, assistant director of marketing and promotions, at 704-894-2767.
About Kicks from 'Cats: Each summer during his collegiate career when Andrew Lovedale returned to his hometown of Benin City, Nigeria, he packed his suitcases with dozens of Davidson basketball shoes and jerseys donated by teammates to distribute on the court where he learned the game of basketball to those less fortunate than himself.
With Lovedale's story as its inspiration, the first annual Kicks from 'Cats was held on February 2009, and along with the Davidson community and Samaritan's Feet raised over 10,500 pairs of shoes and $15,000. Lovedale and junior men's basketball player and fellow Nigerian Frank Ben-Eze, along with Davidson staff, students and fans, delivered the shoes and held basketball clinics in the pair's hometown of Benin City that June. In 2010, the second annual “Kicks from 'Cats” raised over $5,000, which was donated to churches and schools in Benin City.
Since the 2009 trip to Benin City, Lovedale, along with Ben-Eze and trip members, incorporated his own organization, Access to Success (A2S) to support under-privileged youth through various athletic, educational and spiritual programs. Proceeds from this year's “Kicks from 'Cats” will go to support the organization's return trip to Benin City, Nigeria, this summer with the goals of delivering the collected athletic shoes and donated t-shirts, conducting research and holding basketball clinics.
About Davidson: Davidson is a highly selective independent liberal arts college for 1,900 students located 20 minutes north of Charlotte in Davidson, N.C. Since its establishment in 1837 by Presbyterians, the college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently regarded as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country. Through The Davidson Trust, the college became the first liberal arts institution in the nation to replace loans with grants in all financial aid packages, giving all students the opportunity to graduate debt-free. Davidson competes in NCAA athletics at the Division I level, and a longstanding Honor Code is central to student life at the college. Ninety percent of Davidson students participate in service while at the college.
About Access to Success: Access to Success (A2S), a non-profit whose mission is to support under-privileged youth through various athletic, educational and spiritual programs, was incorporated by former Davidson College men's basketball player Andrew Lovedale on September 22, 2010 in Davidson, N.C.
A2S attributes its roots to Davidson's annual Kicks from 'Cats promotion, which began in February 2009 in conjunction with a home ESPN BracketBusters game against Butler and with the goals of collecting basketball shoes and donations to cover shipping costs. In its inaugural year, Kicks from 'Cats raised over $15,000 and 10,500 pairs of shoes.
After over 300 volunteers from the Davidson community helped pack the 40-foot container, 15 Davidson staff, students and fans joined Lovedale and junior Frank Ben-Eze to deliver the equipment and run basketball clinics in the pairs' hometown of Benin City, Nigeria, through a partnership with Samaritan's Feet. Lovedale, who had spent the previous three summers personally delivering shoes and basketball gear given by teammates to Nigeria, Ben-Eze and members of the 2009 team conceived A2S after that trip in order to continue their work in Benin City.
A2S' immediate goals include a return trip to Benin City in July 2011 to distribute more athletic equipment, to educate youth on healthy living, to train Nigerian volunteers in establishing up base operations in Benin City and to conduct research in the school system as to develop supplemental coursework for the under-served youth.
For more information on A2S and Kicks from 'Cats, visit www.a2sfoundation.org or contact A2S at: info@a2sfoundation.org.
About Samaritan's Feet: Not just a non-profit, nor just a humanitarian aid organization – but a community of more than 70,000 volunteers who have joined together to make a difference in the lives of children in need in every corner of the world. From a dream to the reality of nearly 3,000,000 impoverished children in over 40 nations being served by having their feet washed, receiving a new pair of shoes, and hearing a message of hope.
Samaritan's Feet and its team of global ambassadors have touched the lives of men, women, and children across the United States and around the world in an effort help the nearly 300 million people who go without shoes each day, and the more than a million who die (Dying without Shoes) each year as a result. Through this simple act humility and servant-leadership, our team members and volunteers are the expressing love, compassion, and the gospel message that brings hope. For more information on Samaritan's Feet, visit www.samaritansfeet.org.
This year's event features a WhiteOut promotion, a shoe drive and a silent auction, and proceeds will benefit Access to Success (A2S), the foundation recently incorporated by former men's basketball player Andrew Lovedale '09, and long-time partner Samaritan's Feet. With a partnership rooted in the inaugural Kicks from 'Cats, which raised over 10,500 pairs of shoes and $15,000, the two organizations are planning a return trip to Benin City, Nigeria this summer.
Collection bins will be in the lobby of Belk Arena at the men's basketball games against both The Citadel (January 22) and the College of Charleston (January 29), and those donating a pair of new athletic shoes will receive a voucher for a free ticket to any Davidson game in February.
Special white Kicks from 'Cats t-shirts are now available for purchase in the Davidson College Bookstore and 'Cats on Main, as well as the men's basketball game against The Citadel game on Wednesday, January 22. T-shirts are $10, and a second t-shirt may be purchased for $5 to be donated. Proceeds from shirt sales will benefit this summer's A2S/Samaritan's Feet trip to Nigeria to deliver the collected shoes and donated t-shirts.
Kicks from 'Cats will also include a silent auction, featuring Davidson Wildcat memorabilia such as a Stephen Curry-autographed jersey and an Elite Eight starting backcourt autographed basketball, as well as donations from local vendors.
For more information about Kicks from 'Cats—contact Richard Agner, assistant director of marketing and promotions, at 704-894-2767.
About Kicks from 'Cats: Each summer during his collegiate career when Andrew Lovedale returned to his hometown of Benin City, Nigeria, he packed his suitcases with dozens of Davidson basketball shoes and jerseys donated by teammates to distribute on the court where he learned the game of basketball to those less fortunate than himself.
With Lovedale's story as its inspiration, the first annual Kicks from 'Cats was held on February 2009, and along with the Davidson community and Samaritan's Feet raised over 10,500 pairs of shoes and $15,000. Lovedale and junior men's basketball player and fellow Nigerian Frank Ben-Eze, along with Davidson staff, students and fans, delivered the shoes and held basketball clinics in the pair's hometown of Benin City that June. In 2010, the second annual “Kicks from 'Cats” raised over $5,000, which was donated to churches and schools in Benin City.
Since the 2009 trip to Benin City, Lovedale, along with Ben-Eze and trip members, incorporated his own organization, Access to Success (A2S) to support under-privileged youth through various athletic, educational and spiritual programs. Proceeds from this year's “Kicks from 'Cats” will go to support the organization's return trip to Benin City, Nigeria, this summer with the goals of delivering the collected athletic shoes and donated t-shirts, conducting research and holding basketball clinics.
About Davidson: Davidson is a highly selective independent liberal arts college for 1,900 students located 20 minutes north of Charlotte in Davidson, N.C. Since its establishment in 1837 by Presbyterians, the college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently regarded as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country. Through The Davidson Trust, the college became the first liberal arts institution in the nation to replace loans with grants in all financial aid packages, giving all students the opportunity to graduate debt-free. Davidson competes in NCAA athletics at the Division I level, and a longstanding Honor Code is central to student life at the college. Ninety percent of Davidson students participate in service while at the college.
About Access to Success: Access to Success (A2S), a non-profit whose mission is to support under-privileged youth through various athletic, educational and spiritual programs, was incorporated by former Davidson College men's basketball player Andrew Lovedale on September 22, 2010 in Davidson, N.C.
A2S attributes its roots to Davidson's annual Kicks from 'Cats promotion, which began in February 2009 in conjunction with a home ESPN BracketBusters game against Butler and with the goals of collecting basketball shoes and donations to cover shipping costs. In its inaugural year, Kicks from 'Cats raised over $15,000 and 10,500 pairs of shoes.
After over 300 volunteers from the Davidson community helped pack the 40-foot container, 15 Davidson staff, students and fans joined Lovedale and junior Frank Ben-Eze to deliver the equipment and run basketball clinics in the pairs' hometown of Benin City, Nigeria, through a partnership with Samaritan's Feet. Lovedale, who had spent the previous three summers personally delivering shoes and basketball gear given by teammates to Nigeria, Ben-Eze and members of the 2009 team conceived A2S after that trip in order to continue their work in Benin City.
A2S' immediate goals include a return trip to Benin City in July 2011 to distribute more athletic equipment, to educate youth on healthy living, to train Nigerian volunteers in establishing up base operations in Benin City and to conduct research in the school system as to develop supplemental coursework for the under-served youth.
For more information on A2S and Kicks from 'Cats, visit www.a2sfoundation.org or contact A2S at: info@a2sfoundation.org.
About Samaritan's Feet: Not just a non-profit, nor just a humanitarian aid organization – but a community of more than 70,000 volunteers who have joined together to make a difference in the lives of children in need in every corner of the world. From a dream to the reality of nearly 3,000,000 impoverished children in over 40 nations being served by having their feet washed, receiving a new pair of shoes, and hearing a message of hope.
Samaritan's Feet and its team of global ambassadors have touched the lives of men, women, and children across the United States and around the world in an effort help the nearly 300 million people who go without shoes each day, and the more than a million who die (Dying without Shoes) each year as a result. Through this simple act humility and servant-leadership, our team members and volunteers are the expressing love, compassion, and the gospel message that brings hope. For more information on Samaritan's Feet, visit www.samaritansfeet.org.
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