The following press release is from USA Basketball:

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Basketball today announced a partnership with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) to host more than 350 TAPS youth participants and their families at events in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago, Bridgeport and Houston during the 2016 USA Basketball Showcase presented by Verizon.

The Showcase, which tips off on July 22, will feature the USA Basketball Men’s & Women’s National Teams playing nine domestic exhibition games across the U.S.  In addition to tickets to Showcase events, USA Basketball has partnered with the teams4taps program, which provides meaningful opportunities for surviving family members to engage with sports teams and athletes, to have more than 75 surviving military children serve as ball kids and anthem buddies, standing with the USA national team players during national anthem performances.

“The United States will send our finest athletes to Rio, and TAPS is an honored partner with USA Basketball as they recognize the men and women in the military who have served and died for our nation,” TAPS President and Founder, surviving spouse of Brig. Gen. Tom Carroll, Bonnie Carroll.  “During the USA Basketball Showcase, the children of our fallen heroes, the living legacies of American service and sacrifice, will participate in events across the country with USA Basketball, cheering them on.”

“Supporting the men, women and family members of our Armed Forces is a focal point of USA Basketball’s community outreach efforts,” said Jerry Colangelo, USA Basketball chairman. “We are proud to partner with TAPS, whose work to help the families of our fallen heroes is both critical and honorable and we are excited that hundreds of TAPS participants will be able to join us during some of our USA Basketball Showcase stops.”

Since its founding in 1994, TAPS has provided support and comfort 24 hours a day, seven days a week to more than 60,000 surviving family members, casualty officers and caregivers of members of our Armed Forces through a national peer support network and connection to grief resources, all at no cost to surviving families and loved ones.

The partnership with TAPS builds on USA Basketball and the NBA’s long-term commitment to honor and support our nation’s military and families through the Hoops for Troops program.  In addition to supporting TAPS at events year-round, USA Basketball, the NBA, WNBA and Development League work in collaboration with the Department of Defense to give back to communities through the joint Commitment to Service Program.

About USA Basketball
Based in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA Basketball is a nonprofit organization and the national governing body for men’s and women’s basketball in the United States. As the recognized governing body for basketball in the U.S. by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), USA Basketball 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 USA Basketball, go to the official website of USA Basketball at www.usab.com.

About Hoops for Troops

Hoops for Troops is the USA Basketball and NBA’s year-round initiative in collaboration with the Department of Defense highlighted by the commitment to service program working side by side with service members to support communities as well as efforts that honor active and retired service members and their families.  Led by current and former players, coaches, officials and teams, the initiative features a full schedule of events including exhibition games, clinics, open practices, hands-on service projects, veteran job fairs, USO tours, game tickets and more.  Hoops for Troops partners with several nonprofit veteran support organizations, including TAPS and the USO.  To learn more about Hoops for Troops, visit http://bit.ly/USABhoopsfortroops.

About TAPS
The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) is the national organization providing compassionate care for the families of America’s fallen military heroes and has offered support to more than 60,000 surviving family members of our fallen military and their caregivers since 1994. TAPS provides peer-based emotional support, grief and trauma resources, healing seminars and retreats for adults, camps for children, casework assistance, connections to community-based care, online and in-person support groups and the 24/7 National Military Survivor Helpline at 800.959.TAPS (8277) available for all who have been affected by a death in the Armed Forces. Services are provided free of charge. For more information, go to www.taps.org or call TAPS at 202.588.TAPS (8277).

About teams4taps
The TAPS sports program, teams4taps, creates meaningful opportunities for the surviving families of America’s military fallen by engaging with the athletes and teams they cheered for with their hero.  teams4taps works with more than 75 teams across the country, and since its inception in 2013, has touched the lives of thousands of surviving military families.