Minnesota's Danielle Robinson Receives June WNBA Cares Community Assist Award Presented by State Farm
Published on July 23, 2019 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) News Release
NEW YORK - Minnesota Lynx's guard Danielle Robinson has received the June WNBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by State Farm for providing outreach, resources and mentorship to homeless and underserved youth and families in her community throughout the month of June.
A year ago, Robinson connected with the Simpson House, a support and advocacy house for people experiencing homelessness, through blanket deliveries with the Lynx mentorship program, the Dream Team. Robinson has since expanded her relationship with the Simpson House, inviting teammates to serve dinner and interact with the community. Since the start of the 2019 season, Robinson has committed to serving meals once a month and inviting teammates including Seimone Augustus, Jessica Shepard, and Karima Christmas-Kelly.
Further supporting the Simpson House, Robinson made a financial commitment to the Minnesota Lynx Tickets for Kids program with the Simpson House as the main beneficiary. The program provides tickets to under-resourced youth and their families, giving them the opportunity to attend a game and engage with Lynx players.
Robinson also celebrated LBGTQ+ Pride throughout the month of June. On June 10, she participated in the Timberwolves & Lynx Pride Initiative in partnership with Xcel Energy and MATTER. More than 800 healthy snack boxes were packed and distributed to Avenues for Homeless Youth, a local nonprofit shelter that provides housing and youth programs specifically for LGBTQ youth. On June 23, Robinson marched in the Twin Cities Pride Parade alongside the Lynx, Timberwolves and T-Wolves Gaming.
For the second straight year, Robinson is participating as a Dream Team mentor through the Minnesota Lynx and Slumberland Furniture's partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters. Five local youth with inspiring stories are added as honorary members of the Lynx roster. Robinson's mentee, Traniyah recently moved to the Twin Cities. The two bonded over their shared love of basketball and winning games against the boys at recess.
Additionally, Robinson supported the Minnesota Lynx FastBreak Foundation by participating in their inaugural fundraiser, Lynx Live, on May 16. She engaged with fans and participated in an on-stage program that served as a fundraiser generating over $25,000 for the Lynx FastBreak Foundation.
"My end of the season injury last year humbled me. I've obviously gone through times of injury before, but this injury was just different. It challenged me to think past my impact on the basketball court and more about my impact in life," Robinson said. "Although I couldn't contribute to my team on the court, I was able to give back to the Twin Cities community that gives so much to us and Simpson House was a vessel for me to do that. It's such a blessing to be a moment of joy to those who sometimes don't know where their next meal is coming from. The Simpson House is so important to the community. My time there has changed me, grown me, and shown me that my purpose lies in service to others, so I'm thankful to the Simpson House for giving me that opportunity."
The WNBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by State Farm is awarded monthly during the season to the player who best reflects the WNBA's passion to make a difference in the community. In recognition of Robinson's efforts, the WNBA and State Farm will donate $5,000 to benefit the Simpson Housing Services.
Please visit wnba.com/statefarmcommunityassist for more information on the award and its recipients.
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