EL SEGUNDO, Calif.–The Los Angeles Lakers will begin an employee service campaign dubbed “Lakers Team Up,” which will include assembling and distributing care packages for the homeless, preparing and serving food to senior citizens and cleaning up beaches.
Coach Mike Brown and his staff, general manager Mitch Kupchak, the Laker Girls and other team employees will perform projects with such organizations as Volunteers of America, the LA Food Bank, Heal the Bay, US Vets and UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital on days the Lakers were scheduled to play home games at Staples Center and additional dates throughout the year, said Lakers senior vice president of business operations and chief marketing officer Tim Harris.
“We’ve always received such great support from the Los Angeles community,” Harris said. “With the “Team Up” initiative, we have the opportunity to give something back to the community by helping out various organizations that service many of our loyal fans.”
The Lakers were scheduled to begin their season today by playing host to the Oklahoma City Thunder at Staples Center, but the game was canceled, along with all their other November games, because league owners and the NBA Players Association have been unable to agree on a new collective bargaining agreement to end a lockout.
