BY JOSH COHEN, OrlandoMagic.com
ORLANDO – One thing that often separates teams in the standings in the NBA is “identity.” Teams that have an identity, which are the set of values and characteristics that define who they are as a unit, tend to win a lot more games than those that don’t.
The Orlando Magic, as we’ve seen play out these last couple years, have a very clear, unmistakable identity. Their mission when they take the court is to play harder and with more effort than their opponent, be physical, be relentless, be gritty, and do things by committee. With that framework, the Magic have withstood all the injuries to remain a contender in the East.
What makes the Magic even more unique is that they also have an identity off the court. Just as they are under the bright lights at Kia Center and in road arenas, they are relentless in their community. Through their philanthropic efforts, the Magic have helped so many Central Floridians in different areas of their lives.
This past week, to honor everything Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood for while continuing to be community leaders, the Magic stuck to that identity by volunteering at 14 separate community events starting January 13 leading up to MLK Day.
“Not just our standard on the court – who we are and what we represent – it’s about what we do off the court,” Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “We’ve said it from our Thanksgiving to our Christmas drive around the holidays, I think it just continues to say who this group has to be both on and off the court. We’ve talked about it as championships on and off the floor. How we give back, how we take care of the community that takes care of us – making sure we just continue to give back. Our job is about service, and that’s what it should continue to be.”
Throughout the past week, around 250 Magic staff members volunteered each day with the following non-profit organizations to assist with different projects: Clean the World, Quest Camp Thunderbird, The Sharing Center, three Ronald McDonald Houses, United Against Poverty, Rescue Outreach Mission, A Gift for Teaching, Habitat for Humanity, Second Harvest Food Bank, Boys & Girls Club, Keep Orlando Beautiful, and UCP of Central Florida.
The Magic also participated in downtown Orlando’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Sat., Jan. 18 and Jan. 20, in the Oviedo MLK Celebration to honor and celebrate Dr. King.
Rounding out the week-long service work was an in-game celebration on Jan. 19 for MLK Night when the Magic hosted the Denver Nuggets at Kia Center. Magic players wore custom Nike Martin Luther King Jr. day on-court warm-up T-shirt, which was designed in collaboration with the MLK Foundation, Martin Luther King III and the NBPA.
The Magic also honored Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer’s MLK Youth Humanitarians and the Mayor’s MLK Commission members, as well as Elliott Cohen, the night’s Magic Diversity Game Changer and a lead student advocate with the City of Orlando’s My Brother’s Keeper Program during the game.
The Magic also recognized Mayor Dyer’s MLK Youth Humanitarian award winners, who are Orange County middle and high school students selected by school officials for exemplifying the ideals embraced by Dr. King. The mission for the Orlando Mayor’s MLK Commission is to strengthen the Orlando community by promoting Dr. King’s legacy of service, equality, justice, peace, respect and inclusion for all. For more than three decades, the MLK Commission has joined with corporate and community partners to plan and promote a variety of programs and events that celebrate his life and legacy. The Commission is a partnership and represents a cross-section of civic leaders from the private, public and non-profit sectors.
“This week, it is our goal to honor the legacy and life of Dr. Martin Luther King by delivering on serving others, which was a mantra of his and we have drawn inspiration from that,” Magic Vice President of External Affairs and Philanthropy Maritza Martinez-Guerrero said.
The Magic celebrate diversity and embrace its many characteristics and the value it brings to both business and community—understanding what can be accomplished when everyone works together to achieve legendary moments. The Magic are committed to creating an environment in which employees, community partners and fans feel welcome, valued and appreciated.
“Our organization is a community partner, our community builder and a stakeholder here,” Martinez-Guerrero said. “It is part of our DNA of our molecular makeup to give back to our community that supports us so visibly and vocally. It is just what we do. We want to give back to the community. We want our fans to be inspired by what we are doing, so that in part maybe they will consider doing their part in volunteering for causes that are important to them.”
Off the court, on an annual basis, the Magic give more than $2 million to the local community by way of sponsorships of events, donated tickets, autographed merchandise and grants. Magic community relations programs impact an estimated 100,000 kids each year, while a Magic staff-wide initiative provides more than 7,000 volunteer hours annually. In addition, the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation (OMYF), which serves at-risk youth, has distributed more than $30 million to local nonprofit community organizations over the last 35 years.
