Fourth Annual Kicks from ‘Cats, Whiteout Set for Monday, February 6 vs. Wofford
1/28/2012 12:36:00 PM | Men's Basketball
DAVIDSON, N.C. — The Davidson Wildcats will hold the fourth annual Kicks from 'Cats event when they host the Wofford Terriers on Monday, February 6 at 7 p.m.
This year's event features a WhiteOut promotion, a shoe and supply drive, and other surrounding events, and proceeds will benefit Access to Success (A2S), the foundation incorporated last year by former men's basketball player Andrew Lovedale '09. With a history dating back to February 2009, Kicks from 'Cats has helped send approximately 17,000 shoes to Lovedale's native Nigeria.
Collection bins will be in the lobby of Belk Arena at the men's basketball games against both Chattanooga (February 4 at 4 p.m.) and Wofford (February 6 at 7 p.m.), and those donating a pair of new athletic shoes or other items such as socks and school supplies will receive a voucher for a free ticket to a future Davidson game this season.
Special white Kicks from 'Cats t-shirts are available for purchase in the Davidson College Bookstore and 'Cats on Main starting on Saturday, January 28, as well as the men's basketball game against Chattanooga on Saturday, February 4. T-shirts are $10, and a second t-shirt may be purchased for $5 to be donated for A2S program participants in Nigeria. Proceeds from shirt sales will benefit the upcoming A2S trip to Nigeria to deliver the collected shoes, donated t-shirts, and other items. Those purchasing a shirt or donating to A2S can enter to win a Stephen Curry-autographed basketball, donated by the Davidson College Bookstore, which will be awarded at the Kicks from 'Cats game.
For more information about Kicks from 'Cats—contact Richard Agner, assistant director of marketing and promotions, at 704-894-2767.
Expanded Events: This year, local schools have joined in the Kicks from 'Cats effort, as Community School of Davidson, North Mecklenburg High School in Huntersville, Whitaker Elementary in Winston-Salem, and Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology in Charlotte have organized shoe drives to support Access to Success.
Also new this year are expanded events in the Davidson community surrounding Kicks from 'Cats. Summit Coffee will host a happy hour benefit at its new Freckled Dog Pub from 4-7 p.m. on Friday, February 3. Friends of A2S will serve as charity bartenders and donate their tips to the cause. A portion of the proceeds from a select beer, as well as a $5 suggested donation at the door, will benefit A2S. The Brickhouse Tavern will donate a portion of the proceeds from a special menu, which features “The Lovedale Pizza” before and after the Chattanooga and Wofford games. On Sunday, February 5, Flatiron Kitchen + Taphouse will offer a set brunch menu for $10 and a $5 mimosa special with 10% of the proceeds from 11-1 p.m. donated to A2S, and Brooklyn South in Cornelius will donate 10% of their total sales from Wednesday, February 8.
Pro Skills Basketball, run by former Davidson players Brendan Winters and Logan Kosmalski, will hold a free hour-long basketball clinic at Belk Arena prior to the Chattanooga game on Saturday, February 4. The 25 youth, aged 8-12, who raise the most funds for A2S will be guaranteed a spot in the clinic sponsored by Davidson College. The top individual fundraiser will win an autographed Stephen Curry youth basketball jersey, courtesy of the Davidson College Bookstore. Participants must email their fundraising totals ($25 minimum) to info@a2sfoundation.org no later than 8 p.m. on Thursday, February 2 and will be notified of their acceptance the following day. All others will receive a voucher for 10% off a Pro Skill Basketball summer camp. Clinic spots include the one-hour clinic, a slice of pizza and a soda, a short tour of the Davidson campus and a voucher for a free ticket to a future basketball game.
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. In 2011, the third Kicks from 'Cats event raised $1,600 for Lovedale's Access 2 Success organization.
Since the 2009 trip to Benin City, Lovedale, along with 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 annual trip to Lovedale's hometown of Benin City, Nigeria, this summer with the goals of delivering the collected athletic shoes, school supplies, donated t-shirts, and other items and teaching basketball skills, healthy living, and sports education through athletic clinics and motivational talks.
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 and received its 501(c)(3) status in July 2011.
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 senior 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' goals include modernizing the free school run by Lovedale's home church, Gospel Ministries Bible Church, through remodeling, donating computers, books, and other school supplies, and fundraising for continued education for current teachers and salaries for more highly-qualified and specialized new teachers; building a kitchen at Gospel Ministries Bible Church; and founding an after-school program that would offer year-round tutoring, music lessons, basketball and other sports skills training, community service projects, and art education and appreciation.
For more information on A2S and Kicks from 'Cats, visit a2sfoundation.org or contact A2S at: info@a2sfoundation.org.
This year's event features a WhiteOut promotion, a shoe and supply drive, and other surrounding events, and proceeds will benefit Access to Success (A2S), the foundation incorporated last year by former men's basketball player Andrew Lovedale '09. With a history dating back to February 2009, Kicks from 'Cats has helped send approximately 17,000 shoes to Lovedale's native Nigeria.
Collection bins will be in the lobby of Belk Arena at the men's basketball games against both Chattanooga (February 4 at 4 p.m.) and Wofford (February 6 at 7 p.m.), and those donating a pair of new athletic shoes or other items such as socks and school supplies will receive a voucher for a free ticket to a future Davidson game this season.
Special white Kicks from 'Cats t-shirts are available for purchase in the Davidson College Bookstore and 'Cats on Main starting on Saturday, January 28, as well as the men's basketball game against Chattanooga on Saturday, February 4. T-shirts are $10, and a second t-shirt may be purchased for $5 to be donated for A2S program participants in Nigeria. Proceeds from shirt sales will benefit the upcoming A2S trip to Nigeria to deliver the collected shoes, donated t-shirts, and other items. Those purchasing a shirt or donating to A2S can enter to win a Stephen Curry-autographed basketball, donated by the Davidson College Bookstore, which will be awarded at the Kicks from 'Cats game.
For more information about Kicks from 'Cats—contact Richard Agner, assistant director of marketing and promotions, at 704-894-2767.
Expanded Events: This year, local schools have joined in the Kicks from 'Cats effort, as Community School of Davidson, North Mecklenburg High School in Huntersville, Whitaker Elementary in Winston-Salem, and Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology in Charlotte have organized shoe drives to support Access to Success.
Also new this year are expanded events in the Davidson community surrounding Kicks from 'Cats. Summit Coffee will host a happy hour benefit at its new Freckled Dog Pub from 4-7 p.m. on Friday, February 3. Friends of A2S will serve as charity bartenders and donate their tips to the cause. A portion of the proceeds from a select beer, as well as a $5 suggested donation at the door, will benefit A2S. The Brickhouse Tavern will donate a portion of the proceeds from a special menu, which features “The Lovedale Pizza” before and after the Chattanooga and Wofford games. On Sunday, February 5, Flatiron Kitchen + Taphouse will offer a set brunch menu for $10 and a $5 mimosa special with 10% of the proceeds from 11-1 p.m. donated to A2S, and Brooklyn South in Cornelius will donate 10% of their total sales from Wednesday, February 8.
Pro Skills Basketball, run by former Davidson players Brendan Winters and Logan Kosmalski, will hold a free hour-long basketball clinic at Belk Arena prior to the Chattanooga game on Saturday, February 4. The 25 youth, aged 8-12, who raise the most funds for A2S will be guaranteed a spot in the clinic sponsored by Davidson College. The top individual fundraiser will win an autographed Stephen Curry youth basketball jersey, courtesy of the Davidson College Bookstore. Participants must email their fundraising totals ($25 minimum) to info@a2sfoundation.org no later than 8 p.m. on Thursday, February 2 and will be notified of their acceptance the following day. All others will receive a voucher for 10% off a Pro Skill Basketball summer camp. Clinic spots include the one-hour clinic, a slice of pizza and a soda, a short tour of the Davidson campus and a voucher for a free ticket to a future basketball game.
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. In 2011, the third Kicks from 'Cats event raised $1,600 for Lovedale's Access 2 Success organization.
Since the 2009 trip to Benin City, Lovedale, along with 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 annual trip to Lovedale's hometown of Benin City, Nigeria, this summer with the goals of delivering the collected athletic shoes, school supplies, donated t-shirts, and other items and teaching basketball skills, healthy living, and sports education through athletic clinics and motivational talks.
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 and received its 501(c)(3) status in July 2011.
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 senior 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' goals include modernizing the free school run by Lovedale's home church, Gospel Ministries Bible Church, through remodeling, donating computers, books, and other school supplies, and fundraising for continued education for current teachers and salaries for more highly-qualified and specialized new teachers; building a kitchen at Gospel Ministries Bible Church; and founding an after-school program that would offer year-round tutoring, music lessons, basketball and other sports skills training, community service projects, and art education and appreciation.
For more information on A2S and Kicks from 'Cats, visit a2sfoundation.org or contact A2S at: info@a2sfoundation.org.
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