100,000 toys for 100,000 kids

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), in cooperation with Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, played Santa Claus to thousands of Children at the Quezon Memorial Circle Tuesday with its “100 Thousand Toys for 100 Thousand Kids” project under the Alagang PBA outreach program.

And true to its promise, the league was able to put smiles on the faces of the children who came from different parts of Quezon City.

Commissioner Chito Salud and Vice Mayor Belmonte led the gift-giving activity with players from 10 PBA teams helping out in handing the gifts, also provided by MyPhone, Petron, Bayad Center, Papa John’s Pizza, Maynilad, San Mig Coffee & Barako Bull Energy Cola.

“For the past 37 years, minahal ng lolo at lola niyo, mga nanay at tatay ang PBA, ito ang aming pagbabalik ng pagmamahal sa inyo (your grandparents, parents loved the PBA, this is our way of giving back),” beamed Salud in front of the mammoth crowd at the Liwasang Aurora of the QM Circle.

The gift giving project is under the Alagang PBA program, which has been actively providing support and aid to our needy countrymen.

“This is indeed a very worthy project,” said Belmonte. “As we always say, Christmas is for kids and with the help of the PBA, we were able to bring joy to all these children here today.”

Even the players, who handed out toys under the scorching heat, had a grand time.

“Ang sarap minsan lumabas ng hardcourt, magpahinga sa (It’s nice to get out of the hardcourt, rest from) practice and mingle with kids. Kasi minsan nagiging katulad rin kami nila (We used to be like them),” said Rain or Shine star guard Paul Lee.

Just recently, the PBA came up with another successful benefit project, the PBA Bazaar that generated funds for patients of the Cancer and Hematology Center of the Philippine Children’s Medical Center in Quezon City.

“The PBA has a soft spot to help, and which is why under the tutelage of Commissioner Salud, we have intensified our outreach programs and relief efforts during times of calamities,” said PBA project head Rhose Montreal.