Source: Anthony Au-Yeung / Getty
LaMelo Ball To Donate One Month Of Salary To Australian Bushfires Victims
LaMelo Ball is the latest to joined a growing list of professional athletes who have pledged financial support to the bushfire relief efforts as deadly wildfires continue to destroy Australia.
Ball’s agent, Jermaine Jackson, confirmed the gesture to ESPN Australia’s Corey Williams on Thursday night, revealing that the youngest Ball brother would be giving one month of his National Basketball League salary to victims of the fires.
“It’s sad to see what is happening on the South Coast of Australia,” the 18-year-old point guard said in a statement. “People have lost their homes and everything they own. My parents taught me to help out wherever I can, so this is my way of helping out.”
LaMelo Ball moved to the Illawarra region of NSW in 2019 to play for the Hawks as part of Australia’s Next Stars program.
According to reports from The Athletic, athletes who go through the program make about $68,500 over the course of a year. Ball has averaged 17 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7 assists across a dozen games this current season, but he sustained a foot injury and has been kept off the court for about a month now.
On top of Ball’s efforts, The Hawks also teamed up with the Illawarra Mercury to raise money for the Salvation Army Disaster Appeal during Saturday’s game against the Melbourne United.
“Please, if you are attending the game on Saturday, we ask you to find a way to support the Salvos in helping those affected by these horrific fires around our country,” Mercury editor Julian O’Brien said. “Whether it’s two dollars, 20 dollars or more, every little bit will help, but you know the Salvation Army will ensure all of your kind support goes directly to where it needs to go in helping people rebuild their property and their lives.”
According to a report by Bloomberg, the death toll from the fires is at 20. NSW authorities declared a week-long state of emergency on Wednesday as mass evacuations took place across the region.
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