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WNBA Chicago Sky

Chicago Sky and Chevy Announce Winners of Mentoring Program

August 7, 2007 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Chicago Sky News Release


CHICAGO - The Chicago Sky WNBA team and Chevy Dealers of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana announced the three winners of "Together We Stand Tall," a mentoring program for girls, at the Sky game on Friday night, August 3 vs. Detroit at UIC Pavilion. Three girls won a mentoring experience with Sky players Dominique Canty, Stacey Dales or Brooke Wyckoff.

In order to be eligible, girls had to be 8-16 years old and submit a 200-word essay on why they would like to be mentored by a Sky player and what it means to "stand tall." Every girl who applied received four free tickets to the August 3 Sky game, courtesy of Chevy. There were 40 girls who submitted essays; all but one attended the game.

The winners were announced between the first and second quarters: Justina Galindo, 11, of Rock Cut Elementary School in Loves Park, matched with Sky forward Brooke Wyckoff. She plays on the Rockford Wildcats basketball team and also plays with her three brothers; she's looking for a basketball "big sister." To Justina, "stand tall means to stand up for yourself and what you believe in."

Martha Glodz, 14, of Lane Tech High School in Chicago, matched with Sky guard Dominique Canty. She dreams of playing in the WNBA one day and wrote a beautiful essay on what it means to stand tall: "The game of life is similar to basketball; it is impossible to play alone. We should work as a team and stand tall together."

Janel O'Brien, 13 of Berwyn, matched with Sky forward Stacey Dales. She is tall and a natural at basketball, but gets nervous in front of crowds. She wants to learn to have the kind of confidence she sees in the Sky players and thinks standing tall is "the confidence and will power to be able to go out there on that court every day and do your best, no matter who is sitting in the stands."

The three winners were upgraded with their families to seats in the courtside Skyline Club. The winners will also: Attend a Sky practice on Thursday, August 9 at the Solheim Center and have lunch with their player-mentors after practice. Shadow their player-mentors on game day, Saturday, August 11, and sit behind the bench at the game that night. Have their player-mentors speak at their schools in the 2007-8 school year.

"We are committed to supporting the women of Chicago through our partnership with the Chicago Sky," said Mike Hillstrom of the Chevy dealers' association. "This program was designed to give girls in Chicagoland communities access to the Sky players, who are great athletes, educated women and inspiring role models."

The Chicago Sky is the newest of 13 teams in the WNBA, the longest-running women's professional sports league in the world. The Sky celebrated it inaugural season in 2006. For more information, visit www.chicagosky.net.

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