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WNBA Rookie of the Year Partners with Delaware 87ers
in Charity Game for LDA's LymeAid 4 Kids Fund
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Elena Delle Donne, the reigning WNBA rookie of the year, and the Delaware 87ers, the Philadelphia 76ers' NBA Development league affiliate, are partnering for a Lyme disease awareness night on Monday, February 10, 2014, to benefit the Lyme Disease Association's LymeAid 4 Kids program. The 87ers will tipoff against the Maine Red Claws at 7pm Monday at the Bob Carpenter Sports Convocation Center in Newark, Delaware, a 5,000 seat facility, which hosts the 87ers home games, but also is home for the University of Delaware's men's and women's basketball teams.
The LDA is extremely pleased that both Elena and the 87ers chose to donate proceeds from the evening's events to LymeAid 4 kids, a fund, initially established by LDA with author Amy Tan, which provides resources to families with children without insurance coverage to help with diagnosis and treatment of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.
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Despite having Lyme disease since 2008, Elena played through the physical pain and side effects to be a consensus NCAA All-American in Delaware and to be chosen 2nd in the 2013 WNBA draft. After being drafted by the Chicago Sky, she was 2013 WNBA Rookie of the Year and selected to the All-Star Game as the top vote-getter in the league.
The NBA Development league (D-league) 87ers, also known as the "Sevens," started their inaugural season in November 2013 and joined 16 other D-league teams. Besides being a talent pool of players, coaches, and referees for NBA teams, the D-league fosters close connections to their communities, including promoting health and wellness.
The 87ers Monday night game will be broadcast nationally on CBS Sports Network. The 87ers will play in special lime green uniforms, which can be bid on in a silent auction to take place during the game. Every fan will receive a special game t-shirt with a LymeAid 4 Kids logo. A select group of lucky children will attend a basketball clinic put on by Delle Donne from 4 - 5 p.m. at her alma mater, Ursuline Academy. In addition, a select number of fans will be given the opportunity to meet Elena during a pregame Q&A session in the Bob Carpenter Club and during a limited VIP autograph session after the game.
All proceeds from game ticket sales, the silent auction, and the autograph session will be donated to LymeAid 4 Kids.
Team Press Release
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About Elena Delle Donne
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2013 was a banner year for Elena. She started off as a consensus NCAA All-American in Delaware and ended it as the 2013 WNBA Rookie of the Year in Chicago. In between, she was chosen second overall at the 2013 WNBA Draft, selected to the All-Star Game as the top vote-getter in the league, named Rookie of the Month four consecutive times and led the Chicago Sky to their first ever playoff appearance. From a close-knit family in Delaware, Elena chose to stay close to home for college, leading the University of Delaware to basketball success they had never experienced. She graduated as UD's all-time leading scorer in men's or women's basketball and was the first Delaware player to ever be named an All-American. Elena still has a long career ahead of her with many records left to break, and if history is any indication, she is sure to surpass all of those-and then some.
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Donate to Help Fund Education, Research, and Access to Care
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While our knowledge of Lyme & other TBD has increased greatly in recent years, there remain many unknowns and additional research is critical in order to be able to effectively manage them. Education grants and activities of the LDA provide immediate benefits through prevention and more knowledgeable care for patients, as do grants to families for medical services not covered by insurance.
Or by mail:
Payable To
Lyme Disease Association
P.O. Box 1438
Jackson, NJ 08527
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Sincerely,
Pat Smith
President
Lyme Disease Association, Inc.
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ABOUT THE LDA: An all-volunteer national nonprofit 501(c) 3 dedicated to Lyme disease education, prevention, research, and patient support, LDA has been accepted into the Combined Federal Campaign 2013 as an approved national charity for Federal Workplace Giving. It's a Guidestar.org exchange gold level member, recognized at the highest level for transparency and is an Environmental Protection Agency PESP Partner. The LDA offers its LymeAid-4-Kids assistance program for children without insurance coverage for Lyme, and it has funded over 93 research grants─ funded research has been published in 33 scientific journals. LDA has provided 14 annual Continuing Medical Education Lyme & Other Tick-Borne Diseases conferences for physicians and researchers.
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