*Courtesy NBA and USA Today*

In the midst of the NBA playoffs, LeBron James is in the news for something larger than basketball. The front-runner for this year’s MVP is auctioning off a pair of sneakers to benefit the Newtown Memorial Fund, a charitable reserve created to help the families affected by the December shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

*Courtesy scpauctions.com*

LeBron wore the sneakers against the Wizards on December 15th, the day after the tragedy occurred. The auction is going on online until Saturday and is expected to raise at least $5,000 for the cause.

*Courtesy scpauctions.com *

One shoe features LeBron’s signature and the other shoe has an inscription to the affected families: “vs. Wizards 12/15/12 Never forget!”

   *Courtesy scpauctions.com*

*Courtesy scpauctions.com*

LeBron’s charity, the LeBron James Family Foundation, is running the event. Check out some of the foundation’s work at www.lebronjamesfamilyfoundation.org.

Information acquired from AP was used in this article.

*Courtesy NFL*

In the wake of the recent Boston Marathon tragedy, Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola made a very generous promise to the city of Boston. Looking to support the victims of last week’s terror, Amendola pledged over Twitter to donate $100 for every catch and $200 for every dropped pass next season.

Amendola, who was recently acquired by New England in free agency, is already demonstrating his commitment to the Boston community. The talented receiver is expected to replace Wes Welker in New England’s offense, and will also contribute to the Boston area through his philanthropic efforts.

Last week, Amendola formally announced the relocation of his Catches For Kids Foundation from St. Louis to Boston. Catches for Kids was founded in 2010 and offers financial aid and other opportunities to improve the lives of children in low-income situations.

Amendola’s promise via Twitter isn’t the first creative fundraising idea he’s had: he hosted a celebrity waiter night last year in St. Louis, where he served the crowds at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse with his Rams teammates to raise money for his foundation.

Tillman feels a strong personal connection to the cause: his five-year old daughter Tiana was born with cardiomyopathy, a condition caused by an enlarged heart that cannot beat properly.

Just three months after the birth of his daughter, Tillman learned that Tiana would need a heart transplant and may not live much longer. Tiana went through successful surgery and even made history by being one of the first-ever patients to be treated with the artificial Berlin Heart. This innovative device pumps blood while doctors try to find a suitable heart replacement.

*Courtesy PlayerWives.com*

Looking back on how fortunate he and his daughter were, Tillman is thankful for the amazing curing capacities of organ transplants. Tillman, who founded the charitable organization the Cornerstone Foundation in 2005, recently taped a commercial for the cause and has been rallying public support for those affected by heart disease.

The Cornerstone Foundation was founded in 2005 to provide entertainment and support for children in Chicago-area hospitals. Now, a main focus of the organization is spreading awareness of the importance of organ donation for victims of heart disease. For more information on the Cornerstone Foundation go to http://www.charlestillman.org/

After getting rained out, the fun continued indoors. Kids were fed nutritious meals while waiting to receive the prizes as part of a raffle. The parents weren’t left out either, they too were also able to participate in the raffle and win prizes.  

A total of 110 participants signed up, but 62 were actually in attendance. The weather obviously played a factor in that. But all-in-all, it was a successful event. What was most impressive were the amount of volunteers working with Broward Health and the Fields’. Brandon and Katie were thankful and excited with the turnout. What prompted them to start this organization, “Nowadays, a lot of sports are pay to play, and many families can’t afford to put their kids on teams. We started the Fit Fests to teach kids how to be physically active if they don’t enjoy or participate in sports. We teach them that exercise is fun.”

For more on Brandon and Katie Fields Youth & Fitness Fund go to: http://www.brandonandkatiefields.com/

Special thanks to Abigail Obre of Broward Health.

For more information on Broward Health;  http://www.browardhealth.org/

Special thanks also to the following; NFL Play 60. Dan Carpenter and his wife Kaela of Cookinandkickin.com. In-kind donors included All in Stitches, Bashful Daisy Florist, Downtown Photo, Cigna, Yoga Bees and DJ Mike Marino.

The following is a wrap-up of the event.

*COURTESY MIAMI HEAT. HEAT.COM”

The Miami HEAT showed off their strong commitment to charity today at their Family Festival event behind the American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami.

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and other players and coaches played with kids, talked with fans and put on an encore performance of the Harlem Shake for all to see.

The event, featuring a futuristic, galactic theme, was “chock-full” of fun activities and gourmet food from the finest chefs in Miami. Booths were set up across the courtyard and were spilling over with fans checking out the delicious cuisine on display.

“Courtesy NBA.COM, Miami Heat, Heat.com”

Sponsored by Micky Arison’s Carnvial Cruise Lines, the event raised over $500,000 for numerous charities. Among the benefactors were the Jackson Memorial Guardian Angels, an organization working to eliminate drug use in the Miami community, and SafeSpace, a non-profit organization that is committed to aiding victims of domestic violence as well as raising awareness for domestic violence in the community.

SafeSpace empowers domestic violence victims by providing housing and financial assistance to victims and their families. Additionally, SafeSpace supports a 24-hour crisis hotline that ensures that victims always have a source of help.

A 7 year old cancer patient scored a 69 yard touchdown this past Saturday in a scrimmage for his favorite team. The crowd of more than 60,000 at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska was roaring as Jack Hoffman escaped the defenders all the way to the end zone.

Hoffman, who was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2011, became friends with Nebraska running back Rex Burkhead last year. Burkhead consequently started a support group among his Nebraska teammates called “Team Jack.” The team kept in touch with Jack and consoled him as he received treatment. On Saturday, Jack wore Burkhead’s number 22 jersey as he took the handoff and ran 69 yards for the touchdown.

Jack’s condition has improved greatly since finishing a 60 week session of chemotherapy last month. His parents say he is “doing great” and they hope he can make a full recovery.

This is surely the first of many accomplishments for young Jack.

Information acquired from USA Today was used in this article.

*Courtesy Thomas Campbell – US PRESSWIRE*

Houston Texans tight end Owen Daniels recently hosted his annual “Owen’s Locker” charity event at a childrens’ hospital in the Houston area.

The event, sponsored by Walmart, centered on a huge locker filled with tech gadgets such as brand new iPads, laptop computers, and video game sets. The gift-wrapped locker was opened by more than 700 ill children at the hospital, who got to keep the gifts to help pass time as they recover and receive treatment.

This year’s locker launch was the third annual event for Daniels, who has often been recognized for his philanthropic efforts. Owen founded the Catching Dreams Foundation in 2010 to help improve the lives of critically ill children through fun events and strong support. Since establishing his foundation, Daniels has affected the lives of more than 400,000 children through charity events and generous donations.

Read more about the Catching Dreams Foundation at www.owendaniels.org

Special Thanks To Prolanthropy. .http://prolanthropy.net/

As the creator and editor of The Giving Athlete I have taken on the responsibility to inform the public (to the best of my ability) of the many positive “works”athletes are involved with in the community. I also have the opportunity to work with these various athletes and their charitable causes. Recently while covering Jon Beason’s first ever charity fundraising event I was presented with the opportunity to try an new form of therapy called, Ice Cryotherapy.

“ICE Cryotherapy provides recovery services for athletes, active adults, as well as aesthetic and health & wellness benefits to the general public. Cryotherapy is endorsed by many doctors, professional athletes, teams, trainers, Dr. Oz, The Doctors TV Show & ESPN. ICE Cryotherapy provides a natural, safe, non‐invasive therapeutic program to aid in athletic performance, recovery, pain and inflammation reduction, health & wellness by promoting and stimulating the body’s natural healing process.”

Ice Cryotherapy is now available in South Florida. This past Saturday I had the opportunity to step into a Cryosauna for treatment.

The treatment lasts 3 minutes and is done in 3 separate bursts. It is a simple process, cold but not unbearable. You step into the Cryosauna in with simply your socks and your briefs, and place your hands out (or in some cases you can wear gloves). Any exposed phalanges are susceptible to frostbite.

Not knowing what to expect, after one treatment my knees (a joint that I’ve long had issues with) felt a whole lot better. Thus, it is a treatment I would recommend to not just athletes, but any active individual.

For more information check out: http://www.icecryotherapy.com/

Check out their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/IceCryotherapy

For more information on Jon Beason’s MLB Foundation visit: http://www.jonbeason.org/index.php

The man with the “million dollar smile” is Jon Beason. Beason is a middle linebacker for the Carolina Panthers. He recently started his foundation back in 2012, Jon Beason’s MLB (Making. Lives. Better) Foundation, to help benefit the lives of “at-risk” youth.

We’ve covered and assisted plenty of athletes and their foundations here at The Giving Athlete. They all have one common goal, and that is to help improve the lives of others. Yet, what’s most intriguing is that each foundation has a very unique approach, and the same can be said for Beason’s MLB Foundation. Their goal is to “have touched the lives of more than 35,000 children by 2016.”

Beason and his foundation will begin their push on Thursday, March 14th. Beason and his foundation will be hosting their first charity fundraiser of the year.

For more information on how you can help, please contact Rachel Krumpelbeck via email: Rachel.Krumpelbeck@prolanthropy.net.

For more information on Jon Beason you can check out the following links.

http://www.jonbeason.com/

http://jonbeason.org/

Also, social media users, check out Beason’s MLB Foundation on facebook and “like” the page. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jon-Beasons-MLB-Foundation/502072436490964

Finally, special thanks to Rachel Krumpelbeck of Prolanthropy. You can also check out their website : http://prolanthropy.net/