VCU Head Basketball Coach Shaka Smart is taking on the big guys again — only this time to benefit a local non-profit organization. Coach Smart was selected as one of 48 NCAA basketball coaches to participate in the 3rd Annual ESPN / Infiniti Coaches Charity Challenge. The Coaches Charity Challenge is an online voting contest that started Monday, January 14, and will continue for six weeks. The four coaches who receive the most votes will advance to a two-week final competition, and the winning coach will receive $100,000 for his selected charity.
Coach Smart has selected FRIENDS Association for Children, a local non-profit agency, which has been serving children and families in the Richmond community for over 140 years. Urban Views Weekly chose FRIENDS in July 2012 as Non – Profit of the Month. The award goes to a 501(c)3 that serves children. Currently, FRIENDS serves nearly 1,000 children, ages six weeks to 17 years. There are two Richmond locations – the John C. Purnell, Jr. Child Development Center in Jackson Ward and the Robert L. Taylor Childcare Center in Church Hill. FRIENDS serves children from low-to-moderate income working families, and offers a broad array of services to help them gain critical literacy and developmental skills needed to succeed in school and in life. These services also help children achieve a greater understanding and appreciation of their community and the world around them.
To cast a vote for Coach Smart and FRIENDS, simply register at espn.com/infiniti, and look for the Infiniti Coaches Charity Challenge banner. Votes can be made daily throughout the contest. VOTE SMART!
