February 10, 2020
The Philadelphia 76ers and Cooper University Health Care announced a community partnership on Monday that will make Cooper an official partner of the Sixers working together in the city of Camden.
Cooper and the 76ers announced that they will host a three-day Camden Youth Basketball Clinic this summer for over 900 children living in the city and surrounding area. The clinic will focus on the training and development of basketball skills, as well as physical fitness, nutrition and wellness.
The two organizations will also team up to renovate a basketball court for youth in Camden, as this will be the second basketball court that the Sixers have fixed up in the city in the last year. The 76ers refurbished Cooper’s Poynt’s basketball courts this past September.
“Community engagement is one of our core values and we’re thrilled that this partnership with Cooper University Health Care will create new avenues to positively impact youth in the City of Camden,” Philadelphia 76ers President Chris Heck said in a statement on Monday. “Basketball has the power to bring people together and drive meaningful growth and change in our communities. Together with the team at Cooper, we look forward to doing just that.”
Both Cooper and 76ers’ employees will also participate in the “Project 76 Day of Service” in Camden, which is an effort that is part of the Sixers’ “Project 76” employee volunteer program where team employees are encouraged to volunteer at least 76 hours of community service annually in the Greater Philadelphia region.
The 76ers and Cooper will also host a Health & Nutrition Seminar for Camden-area youth, where children will hear from 76ers and Cooper nutritional specialists on best practices to stay healthy and eat well. In addition, kids will get to take the court at the Sixers’ training facility in Camden.
“Cooper has called Camden home for more than 130 years and has been its residents’ trusted health care provider,” said George E. Norcross III, Chairman of the Cooper’s Board of Trustees, in a statement on Monday. “Since moving to Camden, the 76ers organization has embraced the community, making them an ideal partner to serve the residents and add to the city’s quality of life.”
Disclosure: PhillyVoice Founder and Chairwoman Lexie Norcross sits on the Cooper Foundation board of trustees. Her father, George E. Norcross III, is the chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Cooper Health System.
