Latest 'H' article

My latest article appears in the May issue of H Texas magazine. It's about professional sports charity foundations in Houston. Logically, it will appear in the 'Charity' section of the mag.

Foundations on the Home Front
By Chris Boehm
Top photo courtesy Houston Rockets
Backe photo courtesy Stephen O'Brien

Brandon Backe is not a magician or master of mysterious arts. However, he and other local athletes still manage to better the lives of Houstonians.

Through the Astros in Action foundation, the pitcher and some teammates visited a comatose teenager in a hospital; two weeks later the child awoke in good health. The attending nurses said they had never seen such a response.

“He never saw us come. I don’t know what happened and I’m not going to say I’m a witch doctor,” says Backe, who provided the boy and his grandparents a trip to a ballgame, autographs and time in the locker room. “I don’t look at myself as different, but for others to look up to me feels pretty good.”

The Astros, Rockets, Texans and Dyanmo have foundations providing for needy Houstonians. “Many of our players come from similar backgrounds and didn’t live privileged lives,” says Sarah Joseph, Rockets director of community services. “We’ve always had a good group of guys. That’s just the culture of the Rockets.”

Joseph works with the Clutch City Foundation, established by Rockets owner Les Alexander in 1995. The foundation has raised $8 million since its inception and supports, court refurbishment, education and the Sunshine Kids, a program assisting cancer-stricken children.

The Clutch City Foundation partners with players’ individual efforts, such as Steve Francis’ scholarship donations to the Boys & Girls Club and Tracy McGrady’s softball tournaments to assist HISD school renovations. “Our players are very involved,” Joseph says. “We have the resources, and we view it as a responsibility.”

The Astros take this responsibility to heart. Backe, a Galveston native, is the spokesperson for Grand Slam for Youth Baseball and participates in Astros in Action. “It’s a good feeling personally to create goodness around your own community,” Backe says. “[Being from the area] helps tremendously; I’m always readily available for the team.”

Each year the Astros provide scholarships, refurbish baseball fields and raise money for youth leagues to revitalize the game in inner cities. “I think with inner city kids, baseball is being overridden by basketball and football,” Backe says. “This is because it’s easier; you just buy a basketball [or football], whereas to field a baseball team, you need nine players, nine different gloves. In that way baseball has gotten away from the inner city kids.”

The Houston Texans Foundation has raised $1.4 million since 2001, and the franchise is the United Way of Greater Houston’s top per capita supporter, having raised $500,000 for the organization in 2007. The foundation partners with the NFL and assists other charities. Efforts include Tackling Prostate Cancer, fitness programs and work with the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center. “That helps out the whole Gulf Coast region,” says Nicole Streeter, the Texans director of community development. “We want to help anyone we can that is a fan, could be or should be a fan.”

The strong focus on local involvement has done much for Houstonians’ relationship with the team. “Children and even grownups come up to me just because I play football,” says offensive lineman Chester Pitts. “I wouldn’t have a job if it wasn’t for them so anytime I can help I’m all for it.”

Pitts, an original Texans member, has teamed with the Houston Texans Foundation to support the Family Services of Greater Houston, Junior Player Development Program and “Teach for America,” where players read the elementary classes. “If you’re in a position to inspire and share with people what you’ve learned along the way, why not do it?” he says. “At the end of the day it doesn’t hurt you, and you’re doing a great service.”

The Dynamo, already a two-time Major League Soccer champion, has also come to Houston’s aid. Dynamo Charities provides programs to encourage reading at schools, as well as host food and soccer equipment drives.

The soccer team gives Houston two major franchises with league championships. And while the baseball diamond and gridiron have yet to be conquered, all four teams have found their greatest triumphs off the field.

SIDEBAR

In March the Rockets held their annual Tux & Tennies Gala. Proceeds went to the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation to help build Phase II of the Biamba Maria Mutombo Hospital in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This is the second time the event has benefited Mutombo’s foundation; the Rockets’ focus is primarily on local service but an exception was made for the team’s center. “You only have to meet Dikembe to know why [the Rockets are helping him],” Joseph says. “He believes he was born to build that hospital. He believes that’s why he was given the opportunity to play basketball. When you see a player invest that much into it, you know it’s going to be built, and we wanted to be a part of that.”