Thunderbirds host third annual "School House Jam(s)"
Published on January 17, 2008 under NBA G League (G League)
New Mexico Thunderbirds News Release
Albuquerque, N.M., January 17, 2008 - The Albuquerque Thunderbirds will host their third annual "School House Jam(s)" on January 23 at 10:30 am and February 5 at 10:30 am. The Thunderbirds will play host to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and Bakersfield Jam respectively at Tingley Coliseum.
This year's "School House Jam(s)" will include mascots that will be incorporated into the game and timeouts for everyone to enjoy. Newspapers in Education will continue to provide an educational workbook for each student in attendance. The game itself is a way for schools to reward students who achieve reading goals or maintain exemplary attendance.
This season, the Thunderbirds organization has expanded its "School House Jam" program to two mornings to provide more access for schools to come to a Thunderbirds game. The Thunderbirds have increased the overall sponsorship of the games as well as participation from schools for the two games. The presenting partners for the "School House Jam" games include Isleta Casino and Resort, the Albuquerque Journal and Newspapers in Education.
"As part of the Thunderbirds community outreach, we look forward to providing a fun and educational day for kids who otherwise might not be able to attend a game," said Chief Operating Officer Chris Holland. "Because of the overwhelming response from corporate partners, we've been able to bring an even larger number of kids than we have in the past two seasons."
Some of last year's educational events included everything from geography to science games, as well as lessons from the Albuquerque Police Department about underage drinking, followed by appearances by local mascots. This year the event only looks to grow in size and popularity.
The Thunderbirds finalize their 12 day road trip with a pair of games Friday versus Sioux Falls and Saturday versus Dakota, before returning home to take on the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Wednesday, January 23 for a 10:30 am "School House Jam" game. The game on January 23 will be the first of two "School House Jam" games for the Thunderbirds this season.
Thunderbirds 2007-08 single game tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at abqtbirds.com, any Ticketmaster location or at the Thunderbirds front office at 111 Lomas Blvd. NE, Suite 240, Albuquerque, NM 87102. For premium or group seating call the Thunderbirds office at (505) 265-DUNK.
The Thunderbirds stay focused on the community by participating in community events such as the Read to Achieve Program as well as D-League Cares. In the past two seasons the Thunderbirds have worked over 3,000 hours in the community, staying dedicated to Albuquerque and New Mexico.
The NBA Development League is the NBA's official minor league, and the first-ever basketball league with direct affiliations to NBA teams. Now in its seventh season the D-League's goals are to provide affordable, NBA-caliber entertainment to fans of its 14 teams, as well as continue to develop players, coaches, referees and front-office personnel for the NBA. As the single source for in-season player "call-ups" to the NBA, fans of the D-League enjoy the highest caliber of basketball played outside the NBA. In fact, former D-League players represented 10 percent of NBA players on 2007-08 opening day rosters, numbering 44 in total. In addition, the D-League has produced 25 percent of current NBA referees and 16 current NBA coaches, including head coach Sam Vincent with the Charlotte Bobcats. The D-League is an innovative and rapidly growing sports property that also serves as an experimental testing ground for new initiatives of the NBA and its teams, provides continuing education and professional development resources for its players, and is committed to serving its local communities through D-LEAGUE CARES and grassroots efforts.
Individually, the Thunderbirds have had two player call-ups, two front office call-ups, two training staff call-ups and three call-ups from the Storm Chasers Dance and Cheer squad.
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