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Embracing our Community
Embracing Our Community

TeamWork - Cedars-Sinai and L.A. Clippers

Kids playing basketball with the Clippers

A Slam Dunk for Healthier Communities

As the official health partner of the Los Angeles Clippers, Cedars-Sinai collaborates with the NBA team to build healthier communities throughout Los Angeles. This partnership brings Clippers players and Cedars-Sinai staff together at local schools and other sites to inspire families to lead healthy lifestyles.

One dimension of the partnership is the Jr. Clippers program, which promotes the fundamentals of basketball, sportsmanship and athletics and reaches 24,000 underserved youths each year. One major outcome of the partnership is a refurbished school playground at 24th Street Elementary School in the West Adams area of Los Angeles. Cedars-Sinai and the Clippers teamed up to restore an athletic field and basketball court that had fallen into disrepair. The playground is now open to the community for soccer and basketball games every Saturday. The school also participates in the Cedars-Sinai Healthy Habits™ program, which teaches children and parents about good nutrition and the benefits of regular exercise.

“To have a space to play in the sunshine with your friends and be as fit as you can is very important, for mental health and physical health.”

Sam Dekker, Clippers forward

“The kids are so proud of their school. They really needed to have their outdoor space be a place where they felt welcome, cherished and important.”

Mary Ann Sullivan, Principal,
24th Street Elementary School

Other Dimensions of the Cedars-Sinai/L.A. Clippers Partnership

Heart of L.A. Games

Cedars-Sinai sponsors six Heart of L.A. games during the Clippers’ season to promote family fun and healthy lifestyle choices. These games are also occasions to honor a Helper of the Game, a pediatric patient who has overcome serious illness and is given a VIP experience, such as co-hosting the halftime show and standing with players during the starting lineup. A Cedars-Sinai employee who has been on the patient’s care team is honored during the Tobi’s Heroes segment, where the Clippers recognize people in the community who inspire children through sports, community service or education.

Jr. Clippers

Established by the L.A. Clippers Foundation and presented by ARCO, the Jr. Clippers program reaches 100,000 kids ages 5 to 14 at more than 100 sites across Southern California, many of them from underserved communities in Los Angeles. The program promotes a healthy, active lifestyle by teaching the fundamentals of basketball, sportsmanship and athletics. Cedars-Sinai sponsors 75 Jr. Clippers teams.

Mentoring

Cedars-Sinai and the L.A. Clippers Foundation’s Mentorship Assist Zone program collaborated in bringing 12 female middle and high school students from underserved neighborhoods to Cedars-Sinai to learn about healthcare careers. The students toured the Women’s Guild Simulation Center for Advanced Clinical Skills, where they had a chance to practice medical procedures on lifelike mannequins. They also met with five female staff members who encouraged them to pursue their dreams.

Blood Drives

Cedars-Sinai joined the Clippers in two blood drives at Staples Center during the 2016–17 NBA season. The Cedars-Sinai Bloodmobile team collected 44 pints/units of potentially lifesaving blood donations.

Feed the Community

More than 50 Cedars-Sinai staff volunteered to help hand out groceries and personal care items to 1,000 families in need.