Interview with Former NBA Player Derek Strong

You may not recognize the name, but take notice because you’ll want to know this mighty-mighty-fine man. Derek Strong hooped it up in the NBA for ten seasons…laying it out from 1991 to 2001 with the Washington Bullets, Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Clippers.

And he did something remarkable after retirement. He became the first NBA player to successfully transition into NASCAR as a driver. He also founded Derek Strong Racing, which is the first team in NASCAR history to have African-American female owners! Dawn Whitaker and Erica Hill (each minority owners) are the first in the sport…Erica also co-founded Peace International, a non-profit organization whose primary mission is to build schools in remote areas throughout the world.

This girls’ interest was piqued when Look to the Stars spoke to Derek from the red carpet at the recent Shane’s Inspiration event. The mission of Shane’s Inspiration is to create playgrounds for disabled/handicapped kids…“I played in the NBA for about 11 years and every year we did something with children’s hospital, we did things to help inner city children and I’ve been around children practically all my life, and I think it’s very important that we do get out there because they are our future,” said Strong from the red carpet.

But that wasn’t enough of a quote for me, so Derek Strong indulged me with a little Q&A….

Delinda: Was there one particular event that made you want to become involved with charity?
Derek: “Yes, when I went to the children’s hospital. It really touched me, seeing these kids hooked up to IV’s all day, confined to their unit, You didn’t know if they would live to see the next day. They are just starting out in life and they have been in the hospital everyday fighting cancer or another illness. And I want to help- help the kids, help the families, help find a cure because they should be outside playing with other kids. They should be on the playground not in the hospital.”

Delinda: I know from our conversation that you were exposed to a lot of charity events and community related activities as part of the NBA. In your opinion, are participating players really interested in helping out, or are they just playing along?
Derek: “You know, almost every employer has an outreach program- it goes beyond the individual. And it really depends on the person’s character, for me it was inspiring. You may have a player going to an event where they kind of just go through the motions and do nothing else, but others can be inspired. It teaches them to grow, plants the seed so to speak.”

Delinda: In terms of Strong Racing, have you had the opportunity to work with any kids?
Derek: “That’s what I’m trying to do now. I want somehow for our racing team to donate a percentage of our wins to the hospitals and organizations that help the kids. As I’ve said, children are our future. As an adult we can guide them in the right direction and help them. As the future generation, they’re our future survival, and the more we give them and guide them in the right direction, they’ll turn out ok.”

Delinda: You founded Strong Racing in 2001, how has it been going?
Derek: “Well we started racing in 2001 and we progress every week. We have potential to do very well. When we started, we declined a bit, but now we’re finding the chemistry and I think we’re going to do well.”

Delinda: What talent would you most like to have?
Derek: “The talent to heal.”

Delinda: What trait do you most admired in others?
Derek: “Resilience. When someone is planning on doing something, and no matter how hard it is, they stay course until they get what they want. I admire that.”

Delinda: What is your most treasured possession?
Derek: “My family.”

Delinda: Do you have any superstitions?
Derek: “No. A black cat can cross my path and I don’t care!”

Delinda: What’s the most annoying question you get asked?
Derek: “I don’t think any of them are annoying, I enjoy when people ask me something.”

Delinda: How do you recommend other people get involved in charity work?
Derek: “First thing is to find what touches you, what moves you. And then research. Find an organization that benefits your cause. Get involved. Follow you heart.”

Delinda: Do you think Hollywood is sort of ‘obligated’ to get involved?
Derek: “I don’t think anyone is ‘obligated’ but I do think there should be some involvement.”

Delinda: Aside from family, who has been a personal inspiration?
Derek: “A teammate of mine from college, he was like my brother and taught me about life and kept me on the straight path.”

And what a better path than one that led him straight into the hearts of children?

Thank you Derek. Thank you for the interview, but more importantly thank you for the compassion to help those who need it most. I’ll be watching you…

For more info on Derek Strong and the Strong Racing team, please visit the Strong Racing Team website.

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com

Michael Phelps Among Honorees at Celebrity Fight Night

This years Celebrity Fight Night once again knocked out the competition with another one of their amazing fundraisers for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson’s Center. Billed as one of the nations largest fundraising efforts, Celebrity Fight Night has raised more than $52 million for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson’s Center in Phoenix and other charities.

Last year, I was fortunate enough to attend. This year, I watched on the sidelines as guests enjoyed a delicious evening filled with the likes of Michael Phelps, Kurt Warner, Jon Bon Jovi, Reba McEntire, Bo Derek, Jordin Sparks, Forest Whitaker and many others.

Of course, the legend himself, Muhammad Ali was the guest of honor at Celebrity Fight Night XV, held at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona, on Saturday.

The annual event has raised $52 million for various charities throughout its 15-year run, with the primary beneficiary being the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center. This year’s event was hosted by the queen of sweet Reba McEntire and, featured musical performances by Jon Bon Jovi, Charise and Ray Firestone.

And as they do every year, CFN honors hotties in the sports, entertainment and business communities who ‘best represent the qualities associated with the Champ and his fight to find a cure for Parkinson’s Disease,’ This year’s honorees…actor Forest Whitaker, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner and Olympic swimming god Michael Phelps.

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com

Ivory Coast World Cup Qualifier Ends With Deaths

Note-there are some GRAPHIC images in this post. My apologies if it offends any of you. This non-charity related news item that begs our attention-or at least mine. As Didier Drogba and his Ivory Coast played their World Cup Qualifier, fans outside the stadium were being stampeded to death. Granted, this isn’t the first disaster to strike soccer fans, however, it is the first time that I can recall the media printing photos from the stampede- and it really brings it home. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those who died while trying to enjoy a beautiful game of soccer.

The good news is that the Ivory Coast won their World Cup qualifier 5-0 against Malawi on Sunday, but the bad news is that 19 people were killed when fans tried to push their way into the stadium.

FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter offered his condolences and also demanded a full investigation. “I wish to express extreme sorrow and extend our condolences to the Ivorian football community and, most importantly, to family, friends and loved ones following the tragic deaths in Abidjan,” Blatter said in a statement.

The stampede took place at the Houphouet Boigny stadium in Abidjan on March 30. At least 19 people were killed-including children-and more than 130 were badly hurt when hundreds of fans tried to force their way into the stadium during the game.

The cause of the crowd-swell is still under investigation. Government officials are looking into accusations it was caused by non-ticket holders who had bribed their way through security. Some fans are blaming the police, claiming they fired tear gas into the crowd creating panic among those who had nowhere to run.

“We saw people falling from the top bleachers,” said Diarassouba Adama, who was inside the stadium. “The stampede was provoked by the security forces who threw tear gas canisters at us. I don’t know why they fired on us.” Others agree: “My brother left to go to the stadium with his friends. At the entrance, they were attacked by security forces. That’s what set off the stampede,” Momodou Kamara said after identifying the body of his brother.

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com

Chelsea is Coming! AC Milan is Coming! Inter Milan is Coming!

Team Chelsea, one of the sexiest squads in Euro soccer, is coming to the States for the fifth time in six years-this time, as part of the inaugural World Football Challenge.

And it’s not just news about Chelsea making me squeal, its news that the tournement will host four international squads…Chelsea, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Club America. The round-robin style tournament will make stops in Palo Alto, Pasadena, my house, Atlanta, Baltimore, Massachusetts, and Texas…with Chelsea playing a friendly on July 18 versus the Seattle Sounders at Quest Field.

Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon spoke about the teams fan base here in the U.S.: “Coming here regularly has definitely helped us so far. Our fan base over here has more than doubled in the last three years and we are seeing a genuine interest in our team, our club and our brand from people in this part of the world.”

Indeed. It’s not difficult to take a genuine interest when Chelsea’s roster of hot babes include: Captain John Terry, Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, Deco, Joe Cole, and Salomon Kalou and others…and giving me reason to learn Italian, from Inter we’ve got: Luis Figo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Marco Materazzi and AC Milan babes in serious danger of a chance meeting with me: Ricardo Kaka, Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Nesta, Andrea Pirlo, Filippo Inzaghi, Ronaldinho, Clarence Seedorf, and Gianluca Zambrotta to name just a few.

The World Football Challenge begins July 19 where this crazy redheaded blogger will stalk Inter Milan as they take on Club at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, Calif. My next stop will be on July 21 when Chelsea battle Inter Milan at Rose Bowl in Pasadena, where you’ll likely find me trying to get into both locker rooms. Once the hotties have escaped California, the tour continues: July 22: AC Milan vs. Club America at Georgia Dome in Atlanta; July 24: AC Milan vs. Chelsea at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore-where I expect Angela to do me proud; July 26: Inter Milan vs. AC Milan at Gillette Stadium, in Foxborough, Mass.; July 26: Chelsea vs. Club America at Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

If you just can’t wait until July to see the hottest soccer players alive, remember, you can catch most of them-and then some- in New York on June 14 for the ‘All Stars for Hope’ celebrity soccer game. This one of the biggest and best events for charity this summer…hope to see you all there!

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com

Dikembe Mutombo: A Humanitarian for Life

“This is something I will do the rest of my life. No matter what I go do, whether it is working for the league or business for myself, doing humanitarian work, I don’t think there will be anybody who can stop me.”

After 18 seasons in NBA, Dikembe Mutombo is just a few weeks away from retirement.  “I don’t want to leave this game and have something haunt me, like I complained about playing or my minutes. I just want to be happy. One thing I’m very happy with is the transformation that has happened inside our locker room,” said the Rockets center, “The joy, the peace, the smiling on the guys’ faces are very rewarding to see. That is what made me happy, like I accomplished something.”

Accomplished something? While Dikembe is speaking about what he accomplished with the Rockets, my mind drifts elsewhere. It drifts all the way back to the early 80’s. When Bono and the boys were going Into The Heart of a child alongside Bob Geldof who was busy Feeding the World and Elvis Costello was asking us What’s So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding.

‘We’ve been waiting all year, for you…for you…into the heart of a child, I stay a while…into the heart of a child I can smile, I can see my way. Into the heart of a child, I can go back, I can stay a while…into the heart, to the heart of a child…’ U2’s ‘Into the Heart’ lyrics seem to reflect something that Dikembe can relate to.

After all, he’s spent the last decade raising funds for the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital & Research center in Kinshasa (Dem Rep of Congo). Even though the mighty-mighty-fine man has already donated $19M of his own cash, he still needs more, and so he presses on. And he is asking all of us for a little help.

“The latest campaign is to try to go after the grass roots,” Mutombo said. “We can get at least the American people to participate in the treatment of women and children at the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital by donating $20 or more a year. The goal is to get 100,000 people to sign up with our Web site (www.DMF.org) or call 1-877-funddmf. We want to get 100,000 people to respond by the end of June.”

Now I’m no stranger to the slumping economy, but I do know most of us wouldn’t miss $20 a year? To save lives? This isnt just a plea, but a movement. And Dikembe is about to go nationwide with it. “I’m going to go nationwide. My prayer is that as many people as we have in Houston, maybe 100,000 will respond to my call to donate $20 or more. After that, I’m planning to go after every city that I played for (Denver, Atlanta, Philadelphia and New York) and see how many people will sign up to the Web site or pick up the phone. This is to run the hospital for medicine and treatment and paying the staff, the doctors and nurses.”

“People would understand and know this is a good cause,” he said. “This is not a cause that Dikembe is calling on us to donate money so he can buy more equipment or more beds. This is now something we already accomplished. The beds are there. The equipment is there. You just want us to buy medicine and buy Tylenol and buy IVs and all that. Malaria is killing more than 1.3 million children alone in the African continent. The Congo lost more than 300,000 children last year alone from malaria. The treatment will cost no more than $10. If we can come up with $2 million for treatment, with 100,000 people donating $20, there is a chance for us to really eradicate malaria in that particular area.”

Think about that people. Together, we CAN eradicate malaria in the Congo. I don’t know about anyone else, but even with an overdue cable bill, I’m still sending 20 bucks. The life of a child shouldn’t be cut short because someone opted to buy a bottle of wine instead of saving a life…but hey, that’s just me.

“Our goal is to prevent as many deaths as we can,“ Dikembe continued, “I know it is going to be difficult to stop people from dying, because death is part of our lives. But to prevent as many deaths as possible, it is up to us to do so.”

It is indeed Dikembe, and this girl’s got your back every step of the way.

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com

Lewis Hamilton Visits Aussie Burn Victims

Formula One teams and drivers are arriving for the first Grand Prix of the season in Australia. For many, including myself, this is reason to celebrate. The thought of Peter Windsor working that grid while Lewis Hamilton prances around in his race suit is enough to make me smile. But I’ve got a bigger reason to smile-as do the burn victims of Victoria’s Black Saturday brushfires.

When McLaren Mercedes driver, Lewis Hamilton and teammate Heikki Kovalainen landed down under, their first pit stop was to the Alfred Hospitals burn unit. Sure, they could have gone to the zoo or played soccer, but they chose to make the rounds, visiting recovering burn victims, nurses, doctors and hospital staff.

Hamilton is so classy, that he brushed aside the media to speak to the patients. It wasn’t until after the visit that he briefly addressed the media. “We can’t imagine what they’ve gone through, but to see the smiles on their faces and how strong they are … it gives me inspiration.”

While Hamilton and Kovalainen opted to spread love, other drivers-not so much. Unless you call ‘spreading love’ a visit to the zoo or playing soccer? German Formula One drive Nick Heidfeld (above) and Adrain Sutil opted to meet four kangaroos at the Zoo in Melbourne instead of visiting burn victims…

…and Hamilton nemesis Spanish Formula One driver Fernando Alonso was busy being presented with a team shirt from the Melbourne Victory soccer team…I’m just saying…the fires, in which 210 people died, form an emotional backdrop to this year’s Australian Grand Prix-I would expect more drivers to pay homage to those who’ve suffered.

The Australian Grand Prix goes down on March 29, 2009.

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com

Former NBA Star Manute Bol Building Schools in the Sudan

“The children are the future of Sudan, regardless of the region they come from,” Manute Bol.

Manute Bol was once the NBA’s tallest player, standing an impressive 7’ 7” tall. The Sudanese born baller spent almost a decade shooting hoops for the Washington Bullets, Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat. After he retired in 2004 and the novelty of his height wore off, people seemed to move on…lavishing their adoration on players who land three-pointers, sell overpriced signature shoes made in a Chinese sweatshop or hawk lawnmowers instead of hosting a charity event. Needless to say, I wasn’t in the least bit surprised to find very little information on Manute Bol’s latest humanitarian adventures circulating the Internet.

But I did find my ‘needle in the hay-stack’ via two photos that someone was smart enough to snap…Earlier this week, Manute spoke at a rally for action to end the violence in Sudan at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Who knew? Apparently, only one media outlet (AFP) is running the story…makes you wonder if anyone is paying attention to humanity…

Anyway, Bol has been actively kicking butt in efforts to get funding for a school he’s building in Sudan. Just a few weeks ago, Bol hosted a fundraiser in West Hartford where he spoke about the importance of the school being built because right now, classes are currently being held “under trees” in the western Sudan area of Darfur. “My dream is to build schools across south Sudan because with education you can have a decent life, find a job and improve,” said the Man, “But we must also support the people of Darfur because, just like us, they too have suffered.”

What Bol is referring to is ‘uniting Sudan’…while I’m no expert on the War in Darfur, it seems to me that if anyone can do this, it would be him. (Along with Dikembe and Bono of course)….Bol really is doing everything he can to help reconciliation efforts in south Sudan where the war has claimed thousands of lives, including 250 members of his own family. “What happened to us in the south is now happening to the people of Darfur,” said Bol. (Tensions between the Muslim north and predominantly Christian south of the country add to the conflict).

Some help for the thousands of Darfur refugees who have fled to the south comes from one organization, US-based Sudan Sunrise. “We believe that reconciliation is fundamentally essential for the future of Sudan,” said Tom Prichard, director of Sudan Sunrise. “There is now a chance which wasn’t present in the past. We must seize this opportunity to establish good relationships between the north and the south.” Sudan Sunrise even enlisted volunteers from Darfur to help rebuild schools destroyed in the war. “The response was extraordinary,” said Prichard.  According to the UN, only two percent of children in south Sudan finish primary school.

I’m watching you Manute, I’m watching.

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com

NFL New Orleans Saint Jonathan Vilma To Meet With The UN

The other day I mentioned the recent surge in NFL players making humanitarian missions to Africa. Today, I continue with NFL hotties taking an interest in Haiti. Specifically, NFL star Jonathan Vilma of the New Orleans Saints.

The 6′1″, 230-pound babe will take those arms to visit with world leaders, dignitaries and humanitarians at the United Nations Headquarters on Friday March 27, in efforts to push for funding of hurricane proof housing in his native Haiti. And Vilma ain’t going alone- he’s to be joined by former NFL hotties, Freeman McNeil and Adam Dispirito.

The three mighty-mighty-good men will ‘tackle’ the issue and help ease the fears of those in hurricane affected areas by ‘passing’ their concerns onto the UN while ‘touching-down’ on things such as ‘safety’ for homes in the hurricane’s ‘end zone’.

This isn’t Vilma’s first effort at helping those caught in the wrath of a hurricanes aftermath…he appeared in a United Way television commercial after Hurricane Katrina and has become an advocate for more affordable hurricane proof housing for the people of New Orleans as well as Haiti.

Vilma not only sounds all right by me, but he looks downright edible in a suit. For more info, check out his website Jon Vilma.com.

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com

Rafael Nadal French Kisses Trophy After BNP Paribas Win

How many nibbles does it take to get to Worlds Number One…We’ve witnessed trophy after trophy earn that precious nibble Rafael Nadal has perfected. And just when I thought it couldn’t get better, our Tapa won the BNP Paribas Open and, correct me if I’m wrong, (gulp) French kissed the trophy. There is a whole lotta ‘oh no she didn’t’ that I could say about this, but I best move on before I earn an X rating…after all, this is supposed to be all about charity right? And as such, the only donation given by Rafa went straight to my estrogen bank, so it fits the bill.

Nadal had no trouble winning his second title in three years at Indian Wells. After defeating Andy Murray 6-1, 6-2, our tapa spoke…anticipating an accent as delicious as his forehand, it pained me a bit to think he’s either brushing up on his English, or this was translated…

“The conditions today were really difficult. But I think I had a good strategy and played a really good match under the conditions,” Nadal cooed. “Probably Andy didn’t play his best because of the conditions, but I think I played a really complete match, moving very well…I never stopped the legs during the match and I think that was the key. Maybe I accepted the conditions a little bit better than him. Maybe I had a little bit more positive attitude than him.”  Gone are the ‘no’s’?  To think we lost them is bad, no? And is also make me happy Rafa make no more capri’s too, no?

Maybe it was your leg speed Rafa, but I think maybe, just maybe, you are simply maturing into one hell of a eloquent, fine, sexy, Spanish tennis monster with incredibly hot wispy hair and a much needed hint of facial hair to accentuate that ice-melting smile…

Vamos Rafael Nadal, Va-mos.

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com

$2.00 Can Buy You Golf with Tiger Woods or A Bruins Luxury Box

This post is my way of helping some of you get the most for your money. I’ve clued you in on how to meet some of your favorites via attending celebrity-golf events and the like. But there’s another avenue being offered to fans…and its called ‘raffles.’ And I’m not talking about your grandmother’s church raffles…I’m talking about celebrity charity raffles.

The concept is simple. Buy a raffle ticket for $2.00, the money goes to charity and you’re entered to win some amazing prizes-some of which will fly right under the radar if you’re not looking for them.

As mentioned, for a measly two-bucks, you theoretically can get ten-minutes of one-on-one instructions with Tiger Woods. The good peeps at Celebrities for Charity are raffling off one slot 1 slot in the Tiger Woods 1 Hour Golf Clinic at the Grand Cypress Resort in Orlando Florida (Wednesday, May 27, 2009). The winner receives: Minimum 5 - 10 minutes of one-on-one instruction from Tiger Woods; 2 hours of professional training with a certified Pro Golf Instructor; 2 night accommodations at the Grand Cypress Resort (single room, single occupancy); a voucher for roundtrip coach airfare (as necessary) to attend clinic (maximum $1,000); All meals on day of Clinic and a gift bag with shirts and other Tiger Woods collectables….BUT you gotta hurry-the raffle ends Tuesday March 24. The more raffle tickets you buy, the greater chance you have of winning. Do the math…a private lesson with Tiger Woods is worth thousands of dollars, why wouldn’t you gamble on a two-dollar raffle?

Aside from tips from Tiger, Celebrities for Charity also has some great Boston Bruins experiences up for grabs. How do 2 Tickets to every Boston Bruins playoff game during their 2009 playoff run for the Stanley Cup sound? And they’ll throw in an autographed photo of Milan Lucic (Drawing date April 10)…also on the chopping block is your own luxury box at a Bruins Game vs. the Montreal Canadians and a meet and greet with NHL Hall of Famers Ray Bourque and Cam Neely. (Drawing Date: Friday, April 3, 2009). Once again, tickets are only $2.00 and the price goes down if you buy in bulk.

In addition to raffles, I’ve also mentioned charity auctions before. Again, this is a great alternative to on-line shopping. Check the various celebrity charity auctions that are increasingly becoming more and more popular and you’ll likely find something worth your hard earned cash, which goes to charity, and is sold for well below the market value.

For example…the Farm Sanctuary is getting a ton of celebrity support. The organization works to end cruelty to farm animals and promotes compassionate living through rescue, education and advocacy. Through Charity Buzz, the organization is about to benefit from a few cool ‘experiences’ being auctioned off.

Eric Nies is up for grabs…granted, I don’t know who he is, but he is indeed a bid-worth beast. Hottie is best known as the teen idol from MTV’s ‘The Real World/New York. He’s also billed as a ‘health and wellness guru” so the prize package reads: ‘Take the opportunity to share a juice with Eric and pick his brain about how to live a better, more fulfilling and healthy life, while he sets you up on a nutritional program that will change your life.’ (SOLD to the crazy redheaded blogger)…

Other items up for bids include: Two Tickets to The Warped Tour 2009; Meet Kevin Nealon on the set of ‘Weeds’(SOLD to the crazy red headed blogger)…meet Kelly Clarkson after the show of your choice; Two VIP Tickets to a taping of ‘Real Time with Bill Maher’ (Sold to the crazy red headed blogger)… Yoga classes; make-up lessons; cooking classes, purses, lingerie and a whole slew of other goodies on being auctioned off to benefit the Farm Sanctuary.

Charity Buzz has a slew of auctions in progress, all of which offer extraordinary experiences. Everything from a ‘Lakers Dream Experience” to a meet and great with Usher to a weekend of fun with Alonzo Mourning and Dwyane Wade, are up for grabs. Also be sure to check out what Auction Cause has been up to. They are the forerunners in charity auctions, selling off everything from Evangeline Lilly’s lingerie to Sean Penn’s MILK clothing.

And if you’re feeling particularly in love with my blog, I’ve got some new Athlebrity ‘One Love’ T’s available…new designs available here: ATHLEBRITY T-shirts. And of course, I donate 10% of all proceeds to charity…and the rest of the proceeds go to maintaining this site. Don’t like my T’s but love my blog? Then you can always donate directly to me via that tiny button on the upper right that says ‘Donate’. Yes, the slumping economy has hit Athlebrities hard, and I do need help…if I’ve ever made ya chuckle or promoted your product or tipped you off to an awesome event…then even a dollar donation would be greatly appreciated. If not, then I’ll press on…perhaps blogging from an EDAR one day?

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com