The Atlanta Dream has continued to improve with each season. The reason behind this is the hard work put in by everyone from the coaches and staff to the players, but the one consistent thing has always been the fans.
The fans have always supported the Dream and the Dream has showed their appreciation not only through their play, but through giving back to the community.
Armed With A Dream
Armed with a Dream is an initiative that honors patients undergoing treatment or rehabilitation at Children’s. At each home game, the Dream players honor a current patient at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta by having the patients name on their arm.
This partnership has been started between Aaron’s, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and the Dream. 16 patients were honored this season for their battle with various illnesses.
Raynel was the youngest patient honored at the tender age of 5, while Scott was the wisest of the bunch at 20. Raynel was diagnosed with encephalitis in 2008. Encephalitis usually refers to brain inflammation resulting from a viral infection.
Many cases go unrecognized because most people have mild symptoms. Raynel loves basketball and his therapist has worked to incorporate that into his therapy. Scott was born with epilepsy. His epilepsy has been greatly reduced and controlled by the Keto diet. The Keto diet forces the body to burn fat all the time. There are more fats than carbohydrates and for some medical mystery a diet that mimics starvation prevents seizures.
Inspiring Women
The Inspiring Women program celebrates female leaders who help fulfill the dreams and aspirations of women in all endeavors and honors women who embody the same qualities as the players. During the season, the Dream recognizes an individual who inspires others through her dedication to work, family, and community.
All the recipients are unified in their ability to impact the community around them and inspire young girls who will be the leaders of tomorrow. This season recognized women from various walks of life and career paths ranging from Bobled Bronze Medalist to Executive Directors to doctors to Army personnel.
Community Programs
There are various community projects the Dream partakes in and uses to give back to the community that has supported them. Some of the main ones are Be Fit Clinics, Dream Dads, Nothing But Nets, and Read to Achieve.
As an advocate for healthy living, the Dream conducts “Be Fit” clinics at elementary schools, after school programs, and recreation centers to encourage youth to incorporate physical fitness into their daily lives.
Dream Dads partners celebrity dads with the Dream to promote dads and daughters to spend time together while watching the game of basketball. Nothing but Nets is a global campaign to save lives through preventing malaria. Malaria is the leading killer of children in Africa. Read to achieve is a program that promotes reading and on-line literacy and also encourages families and adults to read regularly to young children.