Marreese Speights Bartends for Charity
Although the season was over and the 76ers’ home court at the Wachovia Center was empty on Apr. 15, 2010, there were still plenty of shots being made. Philadelphia center-forward, Marreese Speights, guest bartended at CopaBanana on 4th and South Streets to raise money for the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House, of which he is the new “friend.”
The event--featuring appearances by Philadelphia based rapper Meek Millz and streetball player AO--lasted from 8pm to 9pm and raised money for the House.The Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House provides critically ill children and their families a home-away-from-home environment while being treated at local hospitals. Operating two houses (one on Chestnut Street and one on Front and Erie Streets), the Philadelphia--and original--branch of this internationally recognized charity serves upwards of 60 families each night.
Costing over $75 a night per family for housing and supportive services, families are only asked to contribute $15 per night, however, no one is ever turned away due to the inability to pay. Over 90% of RMH funding comes from individuals; Ronald McDonald House Charities supplies the remaining 10%.
With support services ranging from home-cooked meals to on-duty social workers, the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House has surpassed all expectations and continues to provide a unique and caring environment for those in need.
Speights also joined center Samuel Dalembert, radio announcer Tom McGinnis, mascot Hip-Hop and Ronald McDonald earlier that evening to present the award for the Read For Ronald program at the Chestnut Street House. This 76ers-sponsored program encourages students to read and raise money, as the “elementary and middle school children collect pledges for each minute read during the month of February to help generate donations and support for The House,” the 76ers website states. During the 2009-2010 program, the children raised over $73,000. While most of the funds were donated to the Ronald McDonald House, 10% of the proceeds were returned to the schools that participated in the program.
Speights, who has said he has always had a soft spot for kids, recently became an official endorser of the Ronald McDonald House. Upon the completion of the ceremony, he added in a statement, “Supporting the Ronald McDonald House is really important to me.”
Speights--along with many hopeful fans--went into his second 76ers season with high hopes. Those high hopes, however, were torn down by a mixture of injuries, lack of on-court minutes and a faulty Princeton offense. Speights suffered two knee injuries (one in November, one in March), causing him to miss a total of 20 games, and severely hurt his minutes upon his return to the court.
The Sixers ended the 2009-2010 season with a depressing 27-55 record, but Speights ended on a high note, playing more minutes than most games in the season and scoring over 20 points in three of his final six games.As Speights looks down the road to summer, his plans are very similar to what he has been doing the past few months; playing a lot of basketball and being a support system and role model for children.
Between his own off season camps and workouts, Speights will team with the Houston Rockets’ Kyle Lowry to host a children’s basketball camp at The Shipley School in Bryn Mawr. The basketball pros will give lessons, tips, take pictures, and sign autographs for the kids during the camp on June 26.
Speights is looking forward to the camp, and hopes all the kids are too. “It’s great to come out to support all the kids. I hope they’re as excited as I am.”
For more information on the Marreese Speights and Kyle Lowry basketball camp, visit
~Liz
