Harden, Adidas bring hoop dreams to poor kids
NBA superstar James Harden held a coaching session with students from poor backgrounds at the Hangzhou Child Welfare Institution in East China’s Zhejiang province earlier this month.
The Houston Rockets basketball guard was part of Adidas’ Special Youth Coaching Program to help disadvantaged children when he took to the court in China on Aug 11.
Harden coached up to 30 children in the art of dribbling, passing and shooting before heading up a basketball game alongside volunteers from the sportswear brand.
This was the second corporate social responsibility event for Adidas China and Harden after they linked up in Shanghai last year.
“It’s great to be back here alongside Adidas to promote the incredible physical, emotional, and social power sport has to transform the lives of individuals and communities,” Harden said.
“Today has been a hugely rewarding experience for me and I’m very grateful for the opportunity it has provided to give something back to those in our society who need it most,” he added.
The coaching session was part of the German sports company’s commitment to community development in China.
Supported by Chuanhui Children, a non-profit organization aimed at helping orphaned and abandoned children, the event in Hangzhou showcased the powerful role that basketball can play in relieving hardship.
“As a leading global sports brand, Adidas believes that, through sport, we have the power to change lives,” said Colin Currie, managing director of Adidas Greater China.
“The program is one of our community projects aimed at transforming the lives of individuals and communities in China,” he added. “We are extremely grateful that James Harden, our brand ambassador, could join us for such a meaningful event to make a lasting and positive difference.”
In recent years, the company has increasingly used its global position to promote the power of sport to change to the lives of underprivileged children in China.
Employees have taken leading roles through volunteer work in various CSR initiatives.
Launched in 2012 in partnership with Chunhui Children, the Adidas Special Youth Coaching Program aims to help orphaned and abandoned children in welfare institutions through daily sports activities.
By the end of last year, more than 1,300 students had participated in the program.
Other CSR projects include the Adidas Right to Play Child Development Program, which helps rural youths, and the Adidas Migrant Children’s Program.