A sports franchise is more than a collection of superb athletes – it is a partnership with its community.

We all benefit when kids succeed in school, when we have an educated workforce, when families are strengthened, when neighborhoods are safe and when everyone takes the time and responsibility to make our community an even better place to learn, live, and work. In addition, through our partnership with the Spurs Foundation, the San Antonio Silver Stars help to create opportunities and enhance the quality of life for the San Antonio and South Texas communities.

The Silver Stars connect with fans of all ages through extensive community and educational outreach activities. As we mark the tenth season of the WNBA and our fourth season in San Antonio, our Silver Stars players are committed and dedicated to our community and honored to be your friends and neighbors.

Silver Stars “Be Smart • Be Fit • Be Yourself”
The Silver Stars Be Smart • Be Fit • Be Yourself program is designed to educate teens and women about the risks and dangers of obesity and inactivity and to answer questions about healthy nutritional and lifestyle choices. The platform focuses on the development and execution of events and programs that emphasize the importance of good nutrition, regular exercise and positive-self image, and targets our youth fan base as well as their families. Throughout the year, Silver Stars players, coaches, and personnel will conduct Be Smart • Be Fit • Be Yourself clinics throughout the San Antonio community.

Choose Respect
The Choose Respect Program teaches young teens and the caring adults in their lives about healthy relationships and treating others with respect. Participating pre-teens and teens who complete the program will be invited to a weekend Silver Stars game to be a part of the “Choose Respect Section”. Throughout the season, Silver Stars players and coaches will interact with participants to emphasize the important message of this program.

Breast Health Awareness
The Silver Stars Breast Health Awareness program will focus on generating awareness and educating women about breast cancer in addition to raising funds for the initiative. Team activities will include a Breast Health Awareness night, a 5K Run and partnerships with area breast health non-profits including: Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation, the American Cancer Society, Cancer Therapy and Research Center, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc., and WINGS (Women Involved in Nurturing, Giving, Sharing, Inc.).

Once again, fans will have the opportunity to log onto WNBA.com to bid on their favorite item featured in the Breast Health Awareness Auction. All proceeds from these items will benefit the Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation, the American Cancer Society, Cancer Therapy and Research Center, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc., and WINGS (Women Involved in Nurturing, Giving, Sharing, Inc.).

Read to Achieve
Through the WNBA’s exciting initiative devoted to children’s literacy—READ TO ACHIEVE— the Silver Stars will again unite their leading assets to promote the value of reading, as well as encourage families and adults to read regularly with young children.

Here in San Antonio, the Silver Stars implement READ TO ACHIEVE through educational programming, read aloud events with Silver Stars players and coaches, and free book donations. It is especially important for San Antonio to embrace literacy according to the recent findings from the “America’s Most Literate Cities” study that ranked San Antonio 75th out of the 79 cities across the country.

Silver Stars Book Baskets
Each year, the Spurs Foundation partners with Scholastic, Inc. to donate hundreds of books to emergent readers. At selected home games, Silver Stars “Book Baskets” will open for young fans to stop by and pick up a new book. This literacy partnership reinforces the Silver Stars message of READ TO ACHIEVE!

Silver Stars Players Share Their Favorite Books
During the 2006 WNBA season, Silver Stars players will again host on court book exchanges with children randomly selected from the fans at various home games. Each child selected to participate in these center court pre-tip book exchanges will receive an autographed copy of a Silver Star’s favorite childhood book.

High Five Readers, presented by SACU and El Taco Tote
During the 2005-2006 school year, an exciting four-week reading challenge rewarded first through fifth graders with great prizes, including 2,500 Silver Stars, Spurs, and Rampage tickets. Designed to challenge students to develop good reading habits, students competed individually and as a class in this well-received school-year challenge.

The Silver Stars and Whataburger Want Winners… in their Circle
During the 2006 Silver Stars regular season, students from San Antonio Area Boys & Girls Clubs will be inducted into the “Whataburger Winner’s Circle”—a program that recognizes hardworking Bexar County middle school students who display good citizenship and strive to do their best in and out of the classroom, and then rewards them with free Silver Stars tickets, in game recognition and dinner from Whataburger to one middle school student at each home game.

Whataburger “What’cha Reading” Summer Reading Program
In its fourth year, the Silver Stars and Whataburger will reward more than 1,500 Bexar County children for accomplishments in reading through the “What’cha Reading” program. Every child who earns the What’cha Reading achievement certificate has the opportunity to enter a drawing for three incredible prizes courtesy of Whataburger: 1) limousine service, dinner and four floor tickets to a 2006 Silver Stars home game 2) four Silver Stars Suite passes for four to a selected 2006 home game, or 3) one community center Reading Time-Out with a Silver Stars player. Additionally, every What’cha Reading certificate includes a coupon good for one free Justaburger Kid’s Meal.

Bud Light Charity Stripe Program
For the third year, the Silver Stars and Bud Light will team up for a summer program that will raise funds for charity as well as award a Silver Stars Suite Night to a lucky fan. Last year proceeds from the Bud Light Charity Stripe Program were donated to the Battered Women’s Shelter.

Spurs/Pizza Hut Drug-Free Youth Basketball League
Each winter, the Spurs Foundation funds and oversees the Spurs/Pizza Hut Drug-Free Youth Basketball League, presented by Valero. For 16 years, the league has annually offered more than 20,000 at-risk girls and boys the opportunity to play basketball, improve their athletic skills and learn the importance of teamwork, cooperation, sportsmanship and discipline in a drug-free and safe environment. All participants are also members of the Jr. NBA / JR. WNBA.

San Antonio Night Hoops
An extension of the Drug-Free Youth Basketball League, San Antonio Night Hoops, presented by the Spurs Foundation, is a summer basketball league designed exclusively for teenagers at selected San Antonio Recreation Centers. This program offers more than 900 teens an opportunity to improve their basketball skills and learn important life skills in specialized clinics while in a drug-free social environment. All members of San Antonio Night Hoops are also members of the Jr. NBA /Jr.WNBA.

Silver Stars Basketball Camp
The San Antonio Silver Stars invite girls ages 8-18 to experience and learn from the Stars’ winning attitude in this summer's basketball camp. Get ready to be trained by the pros in fundamentals, strategies, and drills. No previous basketball experience is necessary. Sign up now and receive the attention you need to really improve your basketball skills. For more information and a free brochure, please call (210) 444-5021.