Okafor Makes Gift To Neag School of Education's Husky Sport Program

HARTFORD, Conn. (September 27, 2007) – Emeka Okafor, the 2003-04 national player of the year for the NCAA champion University of Connecticut basketball team, announced Thursday that he will contribute $250,000 to the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education to support the Husky Sport Program in Hartford.

The program uses UConn students as mentors in nutrition education and life skills lessons, as well as exposing the children to a variety of sports and physical activities. Operating at three locations in Hartford’s North End, the Clark Elementary School, the Kelvin D. Anderson Recreation Center and the Hartford Catholic Worker House, Husky Sport offers in-school, after school and summer activities sessions.

The UConn program was developed by Jennifer Bruening, an assistant professor in the kinesiology department of the Neag School of Education.

Bruening is pictured here Justin Evanovich (a former men's basketball player who is highly active in Husky Sport), Okafor and Dean Richard Schwab of the Neag School of Education.

“Every child should have a mentor. I am blessed to be able to help the Husky Sport program continue to enrich young people’s lives and make sure that the children in this program not only have a mentor but are getting the tools needed to succeed in life,” says Okafor. “Nutrition and physical activity are the cornerstone of my life and I feel strongly that young people should not only be educated on healthy living but that they have the access required to lead healthy lives.”

Okafor is presented the story of "Stone Soup" in the first grade classroom of Judy Buonome. To the left is Assistant Principal Melissa D'Alessandro.

“Emeka Okafor represented UConn at its best throughout his years here, as an outstanding student, a spectacular athlete, and an engaged member and leader of the University community,” says University of Connecticut President Michael J. Hogan.  “It is gratifying but not at all surprising that he would step up to support this program.  We’re tremendously proud of Emeka, and proud of the contribution that the Neag School of Education is making through the Husky Sport Program.”

Okafor is presented a "Math-lete" Award at the ceremony.

Clark School Principal Beryl Irene Bailey said the program has changed lives. Clark students in the program have benefited tremendously. She noted some sixth grade students visited UConn last fall and played ice hockey with the school’s team and attended a men’s basketball practice. The third grade students toured the campus, including the African-American Cultural Center and the Rainbow Center, and interviewed students.

“The students at Clark now benefit from college mentors who provide life skills and lessons in nutrition and physical fitness. The UConn students have gone above and beyond and also offer tutoring in the academic subjects,” Bailey said. “Additionally, Clark students are exposed to positive examples of people they can emulate. In a neighborhood plagued by unemployment and illiteracy, this program serves as a metaphorical opportunity knocking on a door that will hopefully lead to our students’ enrollment in college and their enlistment in the metamorphism of their community.”

UConn Director of Athletics Jeffrey Hathaway is joined by new UConn President Dr. Michael Hogan and head men's basketball coach Jim Calhoun at the event.

Bruening, who began the program four years ago, said the funds contributed by Okafor will be used to expand the program by increasing the number and variety of activities offered to the Hartford students and the quality and quantity of the time they spend with their UConn mentors.

The program at Clark includes UConn students who assist with physical education classes. The Anderson Center focuses on pre-adolescent girls, Bruening said, because they often have less exposure to athletics and lack positive female role models.

Children at the Catholic Worker House engage also in arts and crafts.  All of the programs offer physical activities and lessons in nutrition.

One of the highlights of the program each semester, she said, is a field trip planned by the UConn students for children at all three sites. The field trips are used to introduce new experiences and physical activities not usually encountered by the children. Past trips have included an overnight at UConn, attending a professional tennis tournament and receiving a free tennis racquet and exposure to crew, lacrosse, ice skating and other sports.

Bruening’s research examines the factors, including race, gender, access, economics and

exposure that limit the sport and physical activity opportunities of African American girls and women. In addition, a new research initiative examines the effects of Husky Sport on the UConn mentors.

“The program benefits the children in Hartford,” she said. “But it also benefits the UConn students. It focuses them on what’s really important and what they believe about society.”

As a result of the program, some UConn students have changed career goals and entered education.

The gift, to be paid over five years to the University of Connecticut Foundation, is Okafor’s first significant domestic donation. He is also the spokesperson for the One Million African Lives initiative, which has pledged to save one million lives over the next five years in Africa by cleaning up the blood supply by preventing people from receiving tainted blood in transfusions.

Okafor has partnered with the Safe Blood for Africa Foundation, which is in 35 Sub-Saharan countries, and he spent two weeks this summer in Africa delivering test kits that ensure the blood is clean before there is a blood transfusion.

A two-time Academic All-American, Okafor was graduated from UConn in 2004 with a finance degree and a 3.8 grade point average after attending college for only three years. He was the 2004 Academic All-American of the Year and was the Big East Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete in 2004-05 and 2005-06. He was named the 2003-04 NABC and Sports Illustrated National Player of the Year and holds UConn’s career record for blocked shots with 441. He finished his career seventh in NCAA history in both average blocked shots per game and total blocked shots, despite playing only three seasons.

Okafor was the number two selection in the 2004 NBA draft by the Charlotte Bobcats and was the 2004-05 NBA Rookie of the Year. He was also a member of the 2004 United States Olympic team.