On Monday, May 9, the NBA announced that Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine won the April NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente for his work with the Metro Deaf School in St. Paul.
LaVine took American Sign Language in high school and when searching for something to give back to the Twin Cities community, he thought the Metro Deaf School was a perfect fit. LaVine visited the school throughout the season (with no media asked to attend) before donating $10,000 to the school for a new kitchen area.
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“After learning ASL, I realized that I had a unique opportunity to impact the lives of those in the deaf community,” said LaVine. “It’s been great coming to the Metro Deaf School and being able to connect with all the kids, and help build their confidence.”
By winning the Community Assist Award, LaVine is now eligible to win the NBA Cares Community Assist Award for the entire season. His competition for the award will be Carmelo Anthony, Mike Conley, Anthony Davis, Andre Drummond, Victor Oladipo, John Wall, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Damian Lillard.
The winner will be decided by a panel of judges and by fan votes. Through May 18, fans can vote via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #NBACommunityAssist and #ZachLaVine in the same post.
Winners of the Community Assist Award are able to donate $10,000 to a charity of their choice. LaVine chose the Flip Saunders Legacy Fund.
LaVine also dedicated his Slam Dunk Contest victory this season to the late Flip Saunders.
“We are extremely grateful to Zach for this kind and generous donation,” said Debbie Saunders. “The thoughtfulness of Zach, his teammates, and the Timberwolves organization is really appreciated. It’s humbling to know that Zach has offered this to the Fund in Flip’s honor.”
