Dinner with Santa

Rookie Luka Dončić: “This is more important than basketball. The kids needed this…they are happy, we are happy.”

MAVS IN THE COMMUNITY: Dallas Mavs players, employees surprise 50 underprivileged children with gifts and toys at the annual Dinner with Santa event

By Tamara Jolee | Digital Story By Jonathan Lim

DALLAS — Dallas Mavericks rookie Luka Dončić was curious how Americans celebrated the holidays. He recently got his answer at the Dallas Mavericks annual Dinner with Santa event that took place this year at Scout at The Statler, presented by PlainsCapital Bank.

“I figured out we pretty much celebrate the holidays the same,” said Dončić, a native of Ljubljana, Slovenia. “Today is my first Christmas experience here and the main thing is children. Smiles are universal.”

Those smiles arrived courtesy of 50 spunky local children with Rainbow Days and Vogel Alcove, the two organizations chosen by the Dallas Mavericks as this year’s gift recipients. Rainbow Days helps youth in adversity build coping skills and resilience to create positive futures, while Vogel Alcove is a non-profit organization on a mission to help young children overcome the lasting and traumatic effects of homelessness.

“I think we had more fun today than even the kids,” Mavericks center DeAndre Jordan told Mavs.com, while kids zoomed in and out between his legs. “Anytime you can serve children and take their mind off reality for a moment, it’s really special. This is a day we’ll always remember and so will the kids.”

The stories of the children hit close to home for Dallas Mavericks CEO, Cynt Marshall, a mother of four adopted children who were once left abandoned and forced to care for themselves.

“Events like this are personal to me and always touch my heart,” said Marshall. “One of the children came up to me today and grabbed my knees and talked about how excited he was,” she said. “That hits straight to my heart. This is what life is all about.”

Marshall reminded the media that Dinner with Santa is a process that starts months before the annual event.

“Dallas Mavericks Vice President of Community Relations, Katie Edwards, and her team has done an amazing job with Vogel Alcove and Rainbow Days and this event is extremely special for our organization and community during this NBA Cares Season of Giving.”

PlainsCapital Bank served as the event sponsor and Scout at The Statler provided the dinner and event space for the Dallas Mavericks’ annual Dinner with Santa celebration.

Scout is a 12,000-square-foot dining area and gaming hub outfitted with a bowling alley, ping pong tables and event space, making it the perfect location for this year’s Dinner with Santa event. Santa Claus even arrived from the North Pole and praised everyone for putting together such a memorable afternoon for underprivileged children.

“A lot of us on the (Dallas Mavericks) team, didn’t have this growing up,” Jordan said. “This is our purpose in the NBA…to use our platform to reach people and make them smile. Seeing the kids ride their bikes, laugh, smile and rip open their presents so fast is something none of us will ever forget.”

The children arrived via the FOX Sports Southwest Mavs Express Bus and each child received a hero’s welcome courtesy of the entire Dallas Mavericks team, along with Dallas Mavericks Dancers, ManiAACs, Champ the Mascot and PlainsCapital Bank’s mascot “Mo” the Buffalo.

After snacking on mini burgers and sugar cookies, the children and players gathered on the carpet as Santa read the holiday-classic ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.

Dončić said events like Dinner with Santa even transitions to the locker room because it builds camaraderie between teammates in a setting outside of basketball.

“We have a lot of players on our team that really care about children and the community,” he said. “We have great team chemistry and it helps to come together and remember how basketball is just a small part of what we do.”

The Dallas Mavericks Community Relations Department once again shopped and selected gifts for each child, spending weeks gathering lists and checking them twice – to make sure every kid received exactly what they wanted. It’s a process that starts months before the holidays and takes a team of helpers including Edwards and community relations staff members, Hannah Sherertz and Emily Luth.

“We get a Wish List from all 50 kids,” said Edwards, “and they list both needs and wants. Every child gets clothes, coats and warm clothing to get them through the winter. Then they receive special surprises like toys, bikes and electronics. Most of all, it’s fun for them to meet the players and the players love to give out the gifts and visit with the children. Santa is here and it’s just a really special event.”

With the gifts neatly wrapped, the Dallas Mavericks players gave every child individual attention and read their names out loud on the microphone as they dashed to the front and claimed their gifts and box of goodies.

The highlight of the afternoon took place when the biggest kid in the room – 21-year NBA veteran Dirk Nowitzki – counted to three as the children ripped open their gifts and boxes with plenty of screams, cheers and joy that deeply touched the Dallas Mavericks players.

Devin Harris admits the players enjoy the annual Dallas Mavericks Dinner with Santa celebration just as much as the children.

“It’s always an exciting time and one of my favorite events each year,” he said. “We have great chemistry with a lot of funny guys and a lot of guys with really big hearts.”

After the presents are unwrapped, the players assist the children with their newfangled gifts. Dirk Nowitzki was in one corner, pushing a little boy on his new bicycle while Wesley Matthews was in the center of the room helping little girls opening up baby dolls and helping the children situate them inside pink and polka dot strollers.

When we caught up with Harris, he was battling a group of children in a fierce game of foosball while Dwight Powell sat nearby with four kids who snacked on red and green sugar cookies as they admired and caressed their shiny new presents.

Throughout the NBA Cares Season of Giving, the NBA, its players and teams are out in full force in various communities hosting hundreds of charity events around the United States and Toronto. The plan is to brighten the holidays for thousands of families and their children.

“For our entire team to be in one setting together, serving children, is really special,” Harris said. “This event always puts us in the holiday mood and brings great joy to everyone involved.”

ABOUT MAVS OFF COURT: The Dallas Mavericks strive to be champions on the court and in the community. We are dedicated to building a stronger community through educational programs, health and wellness initiatives, environmental efforts, support for military veterans, and grants to nonprofit organizations. Through our community programs and the Mavs Foundation, we are changing lives in North Texas and have impacted thousands of children, families and communities. Learn more at Mavs.com/Community. Twitter: @MavsOffCourt

ABOUT VOGEL ALCOVE: Vogel Alcove is a 501c3 nonprofit agency which provides therapeutic early childhood services, school-age programs and family support services for homeless children ages six weeks to 12 years old, and their families. Since 1987, the agency has served more than 16,000 Dallas-area homeless children. We’re on a mission to help young children, and their families, overcome the lasting and traumatic effects of homelessness. It is our vision that every child in our community has a home, a self-sufficient family and a foundation for success in school and life.

ABOUT RAINBOW DAYS: Rainbow Days is a 501(c)(3) Dallas-based nonprofit organization. Founded in 1982, Rainbow Days has a mission to help children and youth in adversity build coping skills and resilience to rise above life’s challenges and create positive futures. Through support groups, camps, mentored events and tangible items, Rainbow Days serves over 11,000 at-risk children and youth in the Dallas area annually. For more information, please visit our website, www.RainbowDays.org, or call our office at (214) 887-0726.

ABOUT PLAINSCAPITAL BANK: As of Sept. 30, 2018, Dallas-based PlainsCapital Bank, the sixth largest Texas-headquartered bank by deposit market share, operated 20 branches in North Texas. With 65 locations statewide and more than 1,200 employees, PlainsCapital Bank provides highly personalized relationship banking through a single point of contact. Offering commercial lending, treasury management, small business banking, private banking, and trust and wealth management services, PlainsCapital Bank empowers responsive, local decision making in each of its major markets: Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Lubbock, the Rio Grande Valley and San Antonio. PlainsCapital Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hilltop Holdings (NYSE:HTH). Find more information at PlainsCapital.com. Source: SNL Financial

ABOUT SCOUT: Scout, one of six concepts created by hospitality group Epic Food and Beverage, is located inside The Statler and serves as a social space that celebrates the spirit of the great outdoors. Complete with refreshments and recreation in this national park-inspired space, activities range from bowling to ping-pong, foosball and pool. Scout’s menu is ideal for large gatherings, featuring a variety shareable dishes and large-format cocktails.