From Allan Houston's Five-Star Foundation & iStar Charity
Allan Houston Foundation
New York, NY - Where else can a 4'5” nine-year-old kid from Staten Island get to go one-on-one with a Wall Street titan? Where can you see b-ball players do some trash talkin' with a Hollywood superstar? Only in New York City, and only at the iStar Charity Shootout 5 Borough Basketball Tour presenting Allan Houston's Father Knows Best Program. This fun and interactive basketball event series launched in Manhattan last fall and will travel to all boroughs with the purpose of strengthening family relationships, educating youth, promoting human rights and fighting poverty. The public is invited to join us on Sunday, February 12, on the Tour's Staten Island stop as adults and children alike can Change the Game, Get on the Court Change and Strengthen the Family.
“What better way to strengthen today's family bond than getting fathers and sons, mentors and mentees together on the court?” said Allan Houston, the former Knicks all-star who is now the team's Assistant General Manager. “With 32% of children in New York City living in a fatherless home, we have the opportunity to go to the source of the problem and help provide the tools needed to improve communication and support better family relationships.”
Participants and sponsors of the iStar Charity Shootout have the opportunity to take to the court, play alongside celebrities in various shooting competitions and help raise funds for charity. Proceeds from the Shootout go toward launching Allan Houston's Father Knows Best Program and 7-week FISLL Curriculum in each borough. In the weeks following the Shootout, participants of this program will engage in activities that emphasize leadership, communication and the importance of spending quality time together covering the curriculum topics of Faith, Integrity, Sacrifice, Leadership and Legacy.
“Since both organizations are committed to improving the lives of New Yorkers, this as an opportunity for a strategic alliance to support the growth and development of young adults, as well families,” said Jay Sugarman, event founder and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of iStar Financial.
FATHERS CELEBRITY CIRCLE
To help promote the values of the 5 Borough Tour, celebrities and New York City leaders have united in the Fathers Celebrity Circle to help Change the Game for families. The newest additions to the Fathers Celebrity Circle are famed chef and restaurateur, Mario Batali; American hotelier and real estate developer, Ian Schrager; and iconic New York business tycoon, author and TV personality, Donald Trump. They join Jay Sugarman, Allan Houston and the rest of the Fathers Celebrity Circle – Bruce Beck, WNBC-TV; Chris Broussard, ESPN; actors Hugh Jackman and Mark Consuelos; directors Ron Howard and Spike Lee; and beat boxer Kid Lucky -- in their desire to equip, teach, train and inspire a stronger family unit.
THE 5 BOROUGH TOUR
The Staten Island event will take place on February 12 at the gymnasium at Wager College (1 Campus Road, Staten Island). The other borough events will take place later this year. These events are open to the public and are free admission.
Each tour stop will include:
Morning launch of Father Knows Best Program for up to 75 pairs (9 AM – 2 PM) featuring basketball clinics, relationship workshops, skill competitions and an awards ceremony.
iStar Charity Shootout in the afternoon for up to 500 participants (2 PM – 5 PM). The Shootout will include live performances including aerial acrobats, dancers, musical acts and more; basketball competitions; slam dunk contests for young and old; and food and games for children of all ages.
7-Week FISLL/ FKB Program: As an extension of the single-day Tour stop, the Allan Houston Legacy Foundation team will conduct a segment of the FISLL curriculum which provides an opportunity to deepen the impact through a seven-week series that emphasizes themes of Faith, Integrity, Sacrifice, Leadership and Legacy (FISLL). Evaluations conducted before, during and after the program provide an opportunity to uncover underlying issues that may be affecting the parental or mentoring relationship. Participants facing issues such as unemployment, substance abuse, domestic violence and other factors are referred to affiliated agencies where they can receive additional support services. This seven week series will host 20 pairs (40 people total) of fathers/children, mentors/mentees.
The Manhattan kick-off event raised $475,000 and a giving challenge has been presented to sponsor individual boroughs at $50,000 each. For additional details on sponsorship opportunities, all interested parties should contact Liz Glover Wilson at (212) 684-1110 or liz@elizabethroseconsulting.com.
ABOUT ISTAR CHARITY SHOOTOUT
The mission of the iStar Charity Foundation is to actively broaden awareness and increase charitable contributions for existing non-profit organizations that are committed to human rights, youth & family sustainability and education. The Foundation aims to end poverty, preserve human dignity and eradicate social injustice through fundraising efforts driven by the iStar Financial employee and director matching gift program, participation of individual iStar offices in local charitable events, sponsorship donations in response to national catastrophes and special mission-focused events. Additional information on the iStar Charity Foundation and Five Borough Shootout Tour is available at www.istarcharityshootout.org.
ABOUT ALLAN HOUSTON'S FATHER KNOWS BEST PROGRAM
Developed by the Assistant General Manager of the New York Knicks and two-time NBA All-Star, Allan Houston, and his father Wade, Father Knows Best is a signature program of the Allan Houston Legacy Foundation (AHLF). This community program combines high-powered basketball with relationship-development activities, and has been recognized by the Obama administration as an important tool to help solve the crisis of absentee fatherhood in America. Through its basketball clinics, learning sessions, panel discussions and sports competitions, Father Knows Best creates a safe environment for participants to reconnect, discuss sensitive topics, compete against each other and ultimately share an experience that will last a lifetime.
As an extension of the Father Knows Best Basketball Program, through its FISLL Curriculum (Faith, Integrity, Sacrifice, Leadership, and Legacy) AHLF provides the opportunity to extend the relationship-building activities beyond the one-day clinic into a seven-week ongoing leadership curriculum. Additional information on Allan Houston's Father Knows Best Program is available at www.allanhouston.com/fkbnation.
