Steve Patterson Award
"Quite appropriate that an award of this type, one that represents someone committed to giving, be named after Steve Patterson, who truly spent his life giving. When I think of Steve, the saying, "you make a living by what you get and you make a life by what you give" along with "you can give without loving but you can't love without giving," signify the man and the life that Steve Patterson was committed to being in sports and in life."--Coach John Wooden
The Applications are In!
The 2012 winners will be announced on September 13, 2012 during an event at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy
The Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy was established to honor the great legacy of Steve Patterson whose outstanding basketball career was surpassed only by his giving heart, his unwavering optimism, his unifying leadership, and his dedication to improving the lives of others.
Steve became widely known as the center of three national championship teams at UCLA, as an NBA player, and as head coach at ASU, but it was contributions off the court, uniting businesses and communities to help those less fortunate, that are his most enduring.
After Steve’s death from cancer at age 56, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation created this first-of-its-kind award in 2005. It celebrates and promotes the selfless service of those within the world of sports whose passionate efforts make a difference in the lives around them. Past winners of the Patterson Award include Philadelphia Eagles Youth Partnership (2005), Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation (2006), Memphis Grizzlies Charitable Foundation (2007), The Moyer Foundation (2007), San Francisco Giants Community Fund (2008), Steve Nash Foundation (2008), Marvin Lewis Community Fund (2009), Red Sox Foundation (2009), Dikembe Mutombo Foundation (2010), U.S. Soccer Foundation (2010), Cincinnati Reds Community Fund (2011), and Brian Griese (2011).
