NBA China supports earthquake efforts in Zhaotong communities

NBA China contributes 1 million yuan to CYDF for relief efforts

BEIJING – Following the recent earthquake in Zhaotong, Yunnan province, NBA China will donate 1 million yuan to the China Youth Development Foundation (CYDF) through the league's global social responsibility program, NBA Cares, to aid victims and their families in disaster relief and rebuilding efforts.

The cash donation is one of the efforts of the NBA in response to the immediate needs of the students in the earthquake struck area. NBA China will work with its partners – China Youth Development Foundation and the Yao Ming Foundation to provide support to those students who may have suffered losses from the earthquake. NBA players will also send their messages of support to those affected during NBA programs on TV, digital and social media platforms in China.

"We are saddened by the recent earthquake in Zhaotong, Yunnan and the NBA, our teams and players are committed to providing support and resources to those in need in the wake of this terrible earthquake," said David Shoemaker, CEO of NBA China. "This financial contribution is just the first step in our commitment to helping rebuild Zhaotong and we will look into other ways to continue the effort to help the rebuilding of the communities."

NBA Cares is the NBA's global social responsibility program that builds upon the NBA's long tradition of addressing important social issues with an emphasis on programs that support education, youth and family development, and health and wellness. Through this program, the NBA, its teams and players have donated more than $237 million to charity, completed more than 3 million hours of hands-on community service, and created more than 895 places where kids and families can live, learn, or play, in 25 countries and territories on five continents.

In China, NBA Cares works with a series of internationally recognized organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes, including China Youth Development Foundation, China Charity Federation, China Foundation for Disabled Persons, Yao Ming Foundation, UNICEF and Special Olympics. Since 2004, the NBA Cares program has hosted more than 100 community outreach initiatives and built 44 spaces where children and families can live, learn or play in China.