“This event is an opportunity to bring people in our community together and rally behind these athletes as they prepare for one of the biggest stages in sports,” said Steven Curtis, vice president, Toyota Olympic and Paralympic Marketing. “Our partnership with the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) has allowed us to reinforce that no matter your background, whether sitting or standing, when it comes to the game, everyone is equal, dedicated and passionate about their sport.”
Toyota has partnered with 16 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic National Governing Bodies (NGBs), including the NWBA. As an extension of these relationships, Toyota has signed on as the entitlement sponsor to several NGB events leading up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, reiterating its belief that the spirit of the Games and their athletes should be celebrated 365 days a year.
“Since our partnership first started, Toyota has been all-in supporting our organization and athletes year-round,” said Will Waller, chief executive officer, NWBA. “In moving this event to Texas and with Toyota’s help, we’re able to bring our sport and our athletes to a new audience and motivate more people to get out and realize their potential. We are excited for our men’s team to compete in North Texas as we prepare for the Parapan American Games in Lima, Peru, and ultimately Tokyo 2020.”
The lineup for Saturday’s feature games include a rematch to the gold medal game in the Paralympic Games Rio 2016 when the USA beat Spain 68-52. The game will be preceded by USA vs. Japan with the USA holding a 9-0 record against Japan in International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) and Paralympic competition.
Fans who attend Saturday’s free event at Prosper High School have the opportunity to meet Team USA players in an autograph session following the final game at 1 p.m. Toyota and the NWBA will also have free giveaways for fans throughout the day, including halftime prizes, and for people interested in testing their own wheelchair basketball skills, an interactive display will be setup in a fanzone outside the gym. The Dallas Mavericks will also provide entertainment, including the Mavs ManiAACs and Mavericks Street Team, along with a prize package.
Saturday’s schedule includes:
Saturday, June 22 at Prosper High School
Doors Open 9:00 a.m.
USA vs. Japan 10:00 a.m.
Spain vs.USA 1:00 p.m.
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 38 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold 2.8 million cars and trucks (2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2018.
Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.
About the NWBA
Based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the National Wheelchair Basketball Association is a nonprofit organization and the national governing body for men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball in the United States. The National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) is comprised of over 200 wheelchair basketball teams across twenty-two conferences. The NWBA was founded in 1948, and today consists of eight divisions including: Division I, Division II, Division III, Women’s Division, Intercollegiate Men’s Division and Intercollegiate Women’s Division and Junior Division.
As the recognized governing body for basketball in the U.S. by the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), the NWBA is responsible for the selection, training and fielding of USA teams that compete in FIBA-sponsored international competitions, as well as for some national competitions, and for the development of youth basketball initiatives that address player development, coach education and safety.
For further information about the NWBA, go to the official website www.nwba.org.
Rod is a blogger, writer, filmmaker, photographer, daydreamer who likes to cook. Rod produces and directs the web series, CUPIC: Diary of an Investigator. He is also the editor, producer and administrator of STM Daily News, a part of the TNC Network.
