Freddie Mac's Hoops for the Homeless Raises Over $800,000 to Fight Family Homelessness in DC Area
16 April 2005 - 7:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
Freddie Mac's Hoops for the Homeless Raises Over $800,000 to Fight
Family Homelessness in DC Area Earvin 'Magic' Johnson, Former
Washington Redskins Charles Mann and Brian Mitchell, and DC Mayor
Anthony Williams Among Those Who Helped Slam Dunk Homelessness in
Region WASHINGTON, APRIL 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Freddie Mac's
Hoops for the Homeless produced great basketball on Saturday, but
more importantly, it also raised over $800,000 to help alleviate
homelessness, particularly among children and families living in
the Washington, DC region. Freddie Mac hosted and underwrote all of
the costs for this three-on-three, celebrity basketball tournament
held at the MCI Center and headlined by basketball legend Earvin
"Magic" Johnson. The event helped raise awareness and funds for six
local homeless service organizations and one national organization
advocating for the homeless population across the nation.
Homelessness in the DC region continues to be a serious problem. In
fact, more than 14,000 individuals are homeless in the area, and
nearly half of those are families. Homelessness also affects the
youngest members of society. Nearly one-third of the region's
homeless are children. While homelessness continues to rise in the
District, the majority of homeless families in the region reside in
the suburbs. "The number of homeless families in our region simply
is unacceptable. It's a situation we cannot allow to persist. That
is why we are here today and more committed than ever to decreasing
homelessness in our community," explained Ralph F. Boyd, executive
vice president, Community Relations, Freddie Mac. "With the support
of people and organizations throughout our region, Freddie Mac's
Hoops for the Homeless will help more families become
self-sufficient and move off the streets and back into homes."
"Freddie Mac's Hoops for the Homeless gives me a chance to mix my
passion for basketball with my concern for the well-being of
children," said Earvin "Magic" Johnson. "This important event will
help many children and families in our nation's capital and
surrounding region beat homelessness, and I am proud to play a
part." This three-on-three tournament was a daylong event featuring
round robin play with over 50 area teams. Each team raised at least
$1,000 and was assigned a celebrity coach. In addition to Earvin
"Magic" Johnson, other celebrities who participated in this year's
Hoops for the Homeless tournament included DC Mayor Anthony
Williams, Congressman Chris Van Hollen, former Washington Redskins'
Charles Mann, Brian Mitchell and Ken Harvey, and former Apprentice
contestant Kwame Jackson. The more than $800,000 raised during this
tournament will benefit seven outstanding non-profits that work
daily to help homeless families in need: Coalition for the
Homeless, Transitional Housing Corporation, Montgomery County
Coalition for the Homeless, Silver Spring Interfaith Housing
Coalition, Shelter House, New Hope Housing, and the National
Alliance to End Homelessness. Many local companies and
organizations helped elevate the issue of homelessness by
sponsoring the 2005 Freddie Mac's Hoops for the Homeless event,
including The MCI Center, The Washington Post, NBC4, Infinity
Broadcasting, WMATA, Bear Stearns, Credit Suisse First Boston,
Lehman Brothers, Wells Fargo, Ameriquest Mortgage, BlackRock, BNP
Paribas, Citigroup, E*TRADE Financial, Fannie Mae Foundation, FTN
Financial, JPMorgan, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, UBS, and
Washington Mutual. As the largest corporate funder in metropolitan
Washington, DC, Freddie Mac has invested nearly $250 million over
the past 14 years to strengthen families and communities, primarily
through the efforts of the Freddie Mac Foundation. Also, thousands
of the company's approximately 5,200 employees have given their
time and charitable contributions over the years by participating
in volunteer activities throughout the community such as Hoops for
the Homeless. For more information on Hoops for the Homeless, or on
the issue of homelessness, visit
http://www.hoopsforthehomeless.org/. Freddie Mac is a
stockholder-owned company established by Congress in 1970 to
support homeownership and rental housing. Freddie Mac fulfills its
mission by purchasing residential mortgages and mortgage-related
securities, which it finances primarily by issuing mortgage-related
securities and debt instruments in the capital markets. Over the
years, Freddie Mac has made home possible for one in six homebuyers
and two million renters in America. Visit:
http://www.freddiemac.com/. DATASOURCE: Freddie Mac CONTACT: Shawn
Flaherty, +1-703-903-4384, or Jennifer Meyer, +1-703-903-3877, both
of Freddie Mac Web site: http://www.freddiemac.com/
http://www.hoopsforthehomeless.org/
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