Globetrotters partner with Red Cross
Saul “Flip” White of the Harlem Globetrotters reacts after dunking against the World All-Stars during their exhibition game at T-Mobile Arena last year.
The American Red Cross has joined forces with the Harlem Globetrotters as its official charity partner through the team’s Great Assist initiative to help communities across the country prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters big and small.
The Globetrotters will play at Timken Gymnasium inside Armington Physical Education Center at the College of Wooster on Monday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m.
Known globally as the Ambassadors of Goodwill, the Harlem Globetrotters’ Great Assist initiative, which was launched in October 2015, promises to spread 100 million smiles over the next decade through sportsmanship and service.
As part of a two-year partnership, the Red Cross will engage the Harlem Globetrotters in all aspects of its mission. During the first year, the team joined the Red Cross, along with local fire departments and other community partners, as the organization installed its one millionth smoke alarm in October 2017 to help Americans stay safer from home fires. The Lake Erie/Heartland Chapter installed 2,300 smoke alarms in fiscal year 2017 throughout Wayne, Holmes, Ashland, Richland, Huron, Erie and Lorain counties.
“The Globetrotters are making a big difference across the country,” said Lara Kiefer, executive director of the Lake Erie/Heartlands Chapter. “They are helping us spread the word about the importance of smoke alarms, and they’re helping us raise funds to help those in our community who experience a disaster like a home fire.”
During the game about 20 Red Cross volunteers will be on hand to “Pass the Bucket,” collecting donations for disaster relief from fans in attendance. Fans also will be invited to make a $10 donation by texting the word ASSIST to 90999.
In 2017 the Red Cross Lake Erie/Heartland Chapter responded to more than 200 disasters — the vast majority of them home fires — making it a particularly devastating year for the 884 adults and children affected.
Every 24 hours the Red Cross responds to three home fires on average in Northeast Ohio. Nationally the Red Cross responds to a disaster every eight minutes, and seven people die every day from a home fire.
“This partnership brings two great American organizations together in order to achieve a common goal: to help people in need and to put smiles on people’s faces,” said Howard Smith, president of the Harlem Globetrotters. “We look forward to helping the Red Cross achieve their goals by incorporating their messaging into everything we do on and off the court.”