BlazeSports America, a nonprofit organization founded after the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games and a leader in the field of adaptive sports and recreation, has announced the continuation of their partnership with the Atlanta Hawks. Under the agreement, the Hawks will sponsor the BlazeSports Junior Hawks Wheelchair Basketball team for the 2021 season. In addition, the Hawks will be the presenting sponsor of the annual Big Peach Slam Wheelchair Basketball Tournament which is set to take place on May 15th-16th in Atlanta at Acworth Community Center.
“We are thrilled and honored to continue our partnership with the Atlanta Hawks. Their contributions to our organization over the past few years are unquantifiable,” states Dawn Churi, Executive Director of BlazeSports. “More than ever before, we are looking forward to getting our athletes together, in a safe and healthy way, for the Big Peach Slam tournament this year. We greatly appreciate the Atlanta Hawks’ support to make that happen.”
According to a release, the partnership between the Atlanta Hawks and BlazeSports includes a donation to the top-ranking National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) that will offset costs of items such as athlete travel support, uniforms and equipment repair. In addition to their financial donation, the Hawks will also provide branded merchandise and game experiences, as well as offer mentorship and advice on sportsmanship to the Junior Hawks players.