NEW YORK – New Orleans Pelicans point guard Jrue Holiday has received the March NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente in recognition of his efforts to provide New Orleans with immediate tornado relief and his commitment to promoting gender equality, the NBA announced today.  The award recognizes an NBA player each month who best reflects the passion that the league and its players share for giving back to their communities.

After several devastating tornadoes struck New Orleans in February, Holiday pledged to donate $1,000 per each point and assist he tallied during the Pelicans’ game against the San Antonio Spurs on March 3.  Holiday’s stellar performance that game resulted in $31,000, which he donated to the Greater New Orleans Foundation to immediately aid those most impacted by the tornadoes.  Later in the month, Holiday hosted a family who benefited from the donation at a home game, meeting with them pregame to express his support and check on their recovery.

No stranger to unexpected hardship, Holiday took time off early this season when his wife, Lauren, learned halfway into her pregnancy that she was suffering from a brain tumor.  Grateful for her recovery and the successful birth of their daughter, Holiday was excited to share his story in the NBA’s recent Lean In Campaign, which encourages men to be supportive, 50/50 partners to their spouses.  Appearing in the campaign’s PSAs, Holiday hopes that his story will help encourage others to build stronger marriages based on equality.

“Working in the community and assisting others is a blessing that I find very fulfilling and rewarding,” said Holiday.  “I don’t take for granted the platform I have playing basketball or the perspective I have gained from giving back, and that motivates me to get involved with matters close to my heart.”

The NBA Cares Community Assist Award honors the standard set by NBA Legend David Robinson, who improved the community piece by piece.  In addition, Kaiser Permanente and the NBA will donate $10,000 on Holiday’s behalf to Preemptive Love Coalition.

To learn more, please visit http://www.nba.com/communityassist/.

About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care.  We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans.  Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve.  We currently serve more than 10.6 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia.  Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers.  Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management.  Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: kp.org/share.