The community impact week ran Oct. 8–12 in tandem with The NBA China Games 2025 at The Venetian Arena.
Jointly organised by NBA Cares and Sands Cares, the initiative staged basketball exchanges, a boxed-lunch distribution, a community basketball carnival and the “Her Time to Play” clinic to extend sports-driven philanthropy across Macau.
More than 2,200 participants joined the activities, supported by over 300 volunteers including Sands Cares Ambassadors.
Events and highlights:
- Oct. 8 — Youth basketball exchange: NBA Legend Mitch Richmond and NBA coaches led training for 200 students from Lou Hau High School and a group of “Her Time to Play” participants visiting from Guizhou and Inner Mongolia; basketballs and equipment were donated on behalf of NBA and Sands China.
- Oct. 9 — Official tip-off at The Venetian Arena: NBA players ran a clinic for 60+ participants and packed goodie bags and health kits with Sands Cares Ambassadors for later distribution.
- Oct. 10 — Boxed lunch distribution: Tim Hardaway, Sands China leadership, Yao Foundation volunteers and Sands Cares Ambassadors visited Fuhong Society of Macau’s Pou Choi Centre to deliver boxed lunches and health kits to 200 residents in need, supporting the centre’s vocational training initiatives.
- Oct. 11 — Community basketball carnival: Held at NBA House in Cotai Expo, the carnival welcomed families from local NGOs to enjoy games, performances and an interactive session with NBA Legend Shawn Marion; Sands Global Ambassador David Beckham also joined the event.
- Oct. 12 — “Her Time to Play” clinic: NBA Legend Deron Williams and WNBA player Myisha Hines-Allen coached local girls’ teams and visiting participants, culminating in a five-on-five friendly skills challenge.
Patrick Dumont, President and Chief Operating Officer of Las Vegas Sands Corp., said: “As far back as the opening of Sands Macao in 2004, our company has placed service to the Macao community among our top priorities. Over the course of two decades now, our dedicated team member volunteers have given their time and energy to make a meaningful difference in this community.
“NBA Cares and Sands Cares have been outstanding partners for this five-day community impact initiative during The NBA China Games 2025. We are excited to see the positive effect in the community, especially on local youth, children, and those in need. We appreciate all who participated and gave their support.”
Dr. Wilfred Wong, Executive Vice Chairman of Sands China Ltd., said: “We are thrilled to have partnered with NBA Cares to bring the community impact week to life. Not only did we invite NBA Legends and players to engage directly with the Macao community, sharing skills with local students and with rural coaches and students from Guizhou and Inner Mongolia, but we also distributed boxed lunches to the underprivileged and connected closely with members of social service organisations. These activities and more fully demonstrated the powerful impact that sports-driven philanthropy can have on our community.
“We extend heartfelt thanks to NBA Cares for their strong support, the passionate participation of NBA Legends and players, the enthusiastic cooperation of local service organisations and schools, and the wholehearted involvement of students and teachers from Macao and those who travelled from the Chinese Mainland. We also express deep gratitude to our Sands Cares Ambassadors and other volunteers for their selfless contributions. The collective efforts of all who were involved made this week more impactful and meaningful. Looking ahead, Sands China will continue to make use of its resources to give back to the Macao community, taking concrete actions to care for society and help more people feel the warmth of community support.”
Throughout the week, NBA Legends, current players and organisational partners engaged directly with schools, social service organisations and community groups, reinforcing the role of sport in social inclusion, youth development and charitable outreach.
Sands China supported the initiative operationally and through its volunteer network; visit Sands China Ltd. for more on the company’s community programmes.
