Of all the things that can bring spontaneous delight to a person, nothing generates the sort of joy that comes with making a kid smile and laugh.
Maverick players were part of that elation Friday evening as they hosted more than 50 at-risk kids at the team’s annual Dinner with Santa event. For two hours, the youngsters got to mingle with Mavericks, eat a wonderful holiday dinner with all the trimmings, get loads of presents and meet jolly old St. Nick himself.
It’s a yearly tradition for the Mavericks, and this time it took place in the team’s practice facility, which was decked out in festive holiday decorations.
With new bikes and basketballs among the many gifts given, the Mavericks, with help from sponsor Jefferson Dental & Orthodontics, brought a lot of smiles to a lot of pre-teen kids.
“This is what it’s all about,” said Mavericks’ CEO Cynt Marshall. “There’s nothing like it, especially knowing their circumstances. They don’t have a lot to smile about. But right now, today, they do.”
The kids came from Rainbow Days and Vogel Alcove, two nonprofit organizations in Dallas designed to help kids who are homeless, hungry or have dealt with other afflictions. They arrived at the Mavericks’ practice facility in the Fox Sports Southwest Mavs Fan Express Bus.
The Mavericks dished out food and played with the kids. Among the highlights was 7-4 Boban Marjanovic picking up kids in each arm and posing for pictures and 7-3 Kristaps Porzingis lifting tots to give them a chance to experience dunking a basketball.
Luka Doncic was doling out chicken in the serving line, while Tim Hardaway Jr. had considerably less action since he was in charge of giving out vegetables.
And while they are finely-tuned athletes, several of the Mavericks indulged in a Christmas cookie or two with the kids.
“It’s a lot of fun,” said Maxi Kleber. “The kids come here and we try to provide them with food and presents. It makes us smile to see them smile. They have a good time and we have a good time.
“We’re more than basketball players and the organization is more than just a basketball club. For those kids, they will remember this for the rest of their lives. This is a very special moment and you feel very proud as a player to be part of that.”
Kleber said next year, it would be good to have Marjanovic dress up as Santa, to which Boban let out a bellowing “ho, ho, ho.”
Speaking of the big man, Santa Claus gave the kids and Mavericks a nice reading of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas before the main event, when each child received a personalized, wrapped gift, delivered by a Maverick player. After a countdown, they all opened their gifts at the same time.
“To watch these little honeys, one of them started crying because he said he couldn’t open his present until Christmas,” Marshall said. “I told him, no, actually you get to open it tonight. And he started crying. He said: oh my gosh, oh my gosh.”
Each kid also left with a bag full of essential-need items, as well as a dental hygiene kit, courtesy of Jefferson Dental, before boarding the Mavs’ buses after the event.
Dinner with Santa is part of the NBA Cares’ Season of Giving initiative, which features philanthropic experiences throughout the league. The Mavericks have had numerous endeavors throughout the holiday season, including turkey giveaways before Thanksgiving.
Twitter: @ESefko
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