And the 2010-2011 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award goes to... ... ...Ron Artest.
If you haven't been paying close attention to Ron Ron this season, that opening statement may sound a little abominable. However, for those devoted fans of not only the Lakeshow, but Ron Artest as well should have seen this coming from a mile away. His issue of interest is mental health awareness and his good deeds are almost too many to name.
Check his stat sheet...
Back in the summer, he made the decision to raffle off his 2010 NBA championship ring, the only ring he has won to date, to raise money for a mental health awareness charity. And following the Lakers' disappointing 96-80 loss to the Miami Heat on Christmas Day 2010, he did just that. He handed over the ring to a Raymond Mikkael, who held the winning ticket for Artest's raffle, which reportedly raised more than $500,000 for his Xcel University charity, which is designed to provide support to "high-risk youth with mental health issues," according to the Associated Press.
Then...
Artest told Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com that he intended to donate half of his $6.79 million salary to the same cause, stating "I’m definitely considering the whole thing, or maybe 60 percent.”
He later referenced the plan “very serious. I’ve talked to my wife about it already. It’s a powerful message. The message is about the inspiration. That’s what I want, to inspire people. People will be like, ‘Wow. Why is he doing this? Oh, that’s why. Wow. We need to help educate.’ I didn’t come [to the Lakers] for the money. Obviously I could have gone somewhere else, even a lesser market. Pay less taxes. The taxes here are freaking killing me, you know what I’m saying?”
As if that wasn't enough...
Earlier this year in February 2011, The former All-Star was hosted by Representative Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.), who represents part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. He spoke on a panel of mental-health advocates regarding the Mental Health in Schools Act, which, according to the congresswoman's office, would allocate federal grant funding for mental-health services in schools. The legislation was introduced on Thursday.
"I think it's normal to have a mental-health issue," Artest said during an interview on MSNBC. "People could call you crazy ... but it's totally normal in this day and age.
"I wanted to let the kids out there know it's OK."
If this isn't inspirational I'm not sure what is. Check out the excerpt from this afternoon's NBA Press Release:
Ron Artest of the Los Angeles Lakers is the 2010-11 recipient of the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award presented annually by the Professional Basketball Writers Association. The award is named for the second commissioner of the league and honors an NBA player or coach for outstanding service and dedication to the community.
Artest won for his tireless efforts to promote awareness of mental health, including fund-raising, appearing before Congress in support of Mental Health in Schools Act and his all-around advocacy on the issue. Artest also raffled off his 2010 Championship Ring, raising more than $650,000 for mental health awareness, and took part in a public service announcement in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health.
“Ron has such a passion for the issue, and has demonstrated such leadership he was a perfect choice for such a prestigious award,” said Doug Smith of the Toronto Star and president of the Professional Basketball Writers Association. “His work embodies the kind of dedication to important causes that NBA players have become known for.”
#BigUps Ron Artest
SCREAM @ ME!!!
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