Among the goodwill conducted by some pro teams and
leagues during the start of this Holiday season: NBA PLAYERS
and COACHES have delivered 45 tons of Turkey to "thousands
of families for Thanksgiving" throughout the week (USA
TODAY, 11/24)....In Orlando, David Whitley reports that
Magic G DARRELL ARMSTRONG and F BO OUTLAW "dropped in" on a
local family to have an early Thanksgiving dinner yesterday.
Whitley writes that it's "all part of this season's Magic
image makeover." Whitley: "The rebuilding Magic realize
their selling point this year is not their ability, but
their embraceablity" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 11/24)....In Boston,
Ron Borges called Bucs RB WARRICK DUNN one of his "good
guys," as for the third year, Dunn will "make down payments
on new houses for three single mothers in his hometown" of
Baton Rouge, LA, just before Thanksgiving and three more in
Tampa, FL, before Christmas. He also "stocks the kitchens
with a turkey and all the fixings for a holiday meal"
(BOSTON GLOBE, 11/21)....The NFLPA has teamed with OUTREACH
in a series of PSAs designed to educate the public about the
increase in HIV infection (Outreach)....The FLYERS, along
with the PHILADELPHIA ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE and the
PHILADELPHIA DEPARTMENT OF RECREATION, have launched HARMONY
THROUGH HOCKEY, which is designed to promote racial harmony
through a combination of classroom interaction and hockey
participation. The 11-week program for children 10-12 years
old is sponsored by the Comcast-Spectator Foundation and
UPS. CCM outfits the participants free of charge
(Flyers)....The Sharks Foundation, Compaq Computers and the
San Jose Mercury News have joined for the second straight
year to increase literacy among young school children in
Santa Clara and Southern Alameda Counties. The initiative
rewards classes and students who read the most books each
month and demonstrate improvement by the end of the school
year. Prizes include trips to San Jose Arena (Sharks).
