A community event connecting children, youth and their families with emerging basketball stars and their families to talk about life lessons both on and off the courts, family-work, the importance of mentorship and the impact of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy.

Mississauga, Ontario, January 19th, 2019 –  Let’s Get Together! in partnership with Raptors 905 and National Basketball Youth Mentorship Program and supporting organizations, Mississauga Sports Council, Ontario Basketball Association and University of Toronto Mississauga Centre for Student Engagement, is hosting a one-of-a-kind, interactive family event on Saturday, January 19th, 2019 at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre (formerly Hershey Centre) in Mississauga.

Family Mentorship in Sports

Raptors 905 players, Duane Notice, Myck Kabongo and Assistant Coach, Charles Dubé-Brais sit down with their families to share their personal stories with other families from across the GTA about the importance of family support and mentorship.  This event is to celebrate all Mentors and Mentees as part of National Mentorship Month in January.

Let’s Get Together!’s Executive Director, Alison Canning, says on the topic of family support “Healthy parent involvement and family support is key to a child’s success.  We often teach children and parents separately in the hopes that they’ll connect.  This event is about parents and children learning together and empowering each other – it’s not just about what happens on the court, but more importantly what happens off the court. Messages of gratitude, love, family and faith will be present.”

National Basketball Youth Mentorship Program’s Founder, Kevin Wilson, adds on the topic of mentorship “Mentorship is such an underrated concept that many youth unfortunately do not have access to. By connecting youth to various pro basketball athletes, coaches and other parents that they can relate to, this will undoubtedly help to build confidence, courage and their awareness between ‘right and wrong’”.  Between the game and presentation, families will meet NBYMP coaches and mentors plus mentors from other organizations including the University of Toronto Mississauga Centre for Student Engagement who will answer questions and share their educational experience.  January is also National Mentorship Month.

Second Year Running

This is the second year, Let’s Get Together has partnered with the Raptors 905 to deliver an engaging family presentation.  “From the Playground to the NBA” follows two successful events from last year;  Growth Mindset Talk (March 10, 2018) with then Raptors 905 Players Shevon Thompson, Kennedy Meeks, Kaza Kajami-Keane and Aaron Best and Parent Involvement Matters Talk (January 27, 2018) where Aaron Best and Kaza Kajami-Keane’s families shared their stories of how they raised and supported Aaron and Kaza.

Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy 

John Wiggins, Director of Team Operations for Raptors 905 says “Raptors 905 is proud to once again team up with Let’s Get Together and continue the conversation around how parents, mentors, coaches, and players can all contribute towards the growth and development of this game that we all love so much.  It’s even better that there is a heightened sense of purpose knowing that the event takes place during a weekend where we will be honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. whose legacy was founded on the notion that we must all work together to create better opportunities for each other.  It’s important for everyone to understand that if we are to embark on a journey to success, then as a community we need come together to teach and learn from each other.  Joining us for this panel discussion is a step in the right direction.”

How to Participate

On Saturday, January 19, 2019 at 1:00pm, come watch the Raptors 905 take on the Greensboro Swarm and join the players, Coach Dubé-Brais and their families after the game for our interactive discussion: “From the Playground to the NBA”. Parent/caregivers are encouraged to attend with their child(ren).  Game will be held at Paramount Fine Foods Centre, 5500 Rose Cherry Place, Mississauga ON L4Z 4B6.

To learn more and purchase tickets, visit www.letsgettogether.ca/playgroundtonba

For additional event resources and media kit, visit Get Involved ToolKit

Raptors 905 are the NBA G League Champion for 2016/17, Conference Champions for 2017/18 and the lone Canadian team in the league. Founded in 2015, the team joined the league for the 2015-16 season, playing out of Paramount Fine Food Centre in Mississauga, Ontario.

Let’s Get Together! is a not-for-profit organization that creates opportunities for parents, youth and communities to access learning resources that provide educational assistance and supports student well-being. Their mission is to encourage healthy parent involvement, inspire youth to value learning while making education accessible and equitable.

National Basketball Youth Mentorship Program (NBYMP) positively impacts the lives of youth living in Canada by providing the necessary resources needed to be successful in various areas both on and off the court. The vision for such a program is for all youth living in Canada, to utilize the resources provided from this mentorship platform and to use the game of basketball to become successful in all aspects of life.