Orlando Magic players Dwight Howard and Vince Carter to Highlight Magic’s Activities for NBA Week of Service

I’m not sure if any team in the NBA does as much good in the community as the Orlando Magic and here is just another example.

WHO: Magic players Dwight Howard and Vince Carter, Magic Community Ambassadors Nick Anderson and Bo Outlaw, STUFF the Magic Mascot, Magic Dancers, Magic staff, Orange County Public Schools and Boone High School students

WHAT: Orlando Magic Participates in NBA Week of Service

The Orlando Magic and Heart of Florida United Way are teaming up for the NBA Week of Service to promote volunteerism.

Activities Include:

All-Star School Lunch with Magic Community Ambassadors Nick Anderson and Bo Outlaw at Boone High School (2000 S. Mills Ave., Orlando); Thursday, October 22, 2009; 10:00-11:30 a.m.

Outlaw, Anderson, STUFF and the Magic Dancers with local dignitaries will serve a healthy school lunch to Boone students and introduce the new Magic-themed food cart. All- Star Lunch with the Orlando Magic is about promoting school lunch, that it tastes great and provides the nutritional fuel that students need to perform well in school.

All OCPS FNS food items follow strict nutritional federal guidelines. In recognition of the impact on health and learning by school food and nutrition, OCPS FNS has improved its menus by offering bigger side salads, increasing the variety of fruits and vegetables offered, removing fried foods and non-nutritious drink options and limiting the sugar in cereal — all while following new product specifications and requirements (such as serving whole grain breads and cereals). This is part of the Magic’s “Be Healthy” campaign and aligns with one of the Magic’s goals of health and wellness. (event not open to the public but media invited to attend and film/photograph)

Fall Festival with Dwight Howard and Vince Carter @ Christian Service Center (808 W. Central Blvd., Orlando, 32805); Thursday, October 22, 2009; 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. (players to arrive around 4:00 p.m.) Howard and Carter will serve food to more than 500 families, play games and visit with the children. (event not open to public, but media invited to attend and film/photograph)

Naturalization Ceremony @ Amway Arena (600 W. Amelia St.); Friday, October 23, 2009; 1:15 p.m. ceremony and pledge of allegiance at halftime of game (more details to follow in separate release)

The NBA, its teams, and players tipped off the 2009 NBA Cares Week of Service on Monday. With the start of the season just one week away, every NBA team will host a variety of hands-on service events through Oct. 26 in a collaborative effort to give back to children, families, and the community and to increase fan awareness about the importance of service.

The NBA Cares Week of Service aligns with President Obama’s recent launch of the United We Serve initiative (www.serve.gov), which seeks to expand the impact of volunteer work in existing organizations and encourage individuals to make a difference in their communities.

The Heart of Florida United Way’s Volunteer Resource Center makes finding the right volunteer opportunity in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties quick and easy. Simply log onto www.volunteerorlando.org, and search by keyword, zip code, interests or by date. Fans can also call 407-849-2363.

Media is invited to attend all events, take photos and/or film the festivities.

(Andrew Melnick is Howard the Dunk’s lead blogger. Subscribe to his RSS feed and add him on Twitter to follow him daily.)