For the rest of the 2016-17 NBA season, every time Kristaps Porzingis blocks a shot, not only will the New York Knicks benefit but so will children.
Now, instead of impressing on the court, Kristaps Porzingis is impressing off the court as well. Every time Porzingis, the 7-foot-3 forward for the New York Knicks puts a shot back in the oppositions’ face, he will donate $500 to the New York RENS.
The RENS is a non-profit, New York area youth basketball program. The money raised by the blocks of Kristaps Porzingis will be used for the Ben Jobe Educational and Scholarship Fund and will be named ‘KrisStops’. Jobe is an 83-year-old scout for the New York Knicks.
A partnership between RENS and St. Francis College in Brooklyn allows for one on one tutors for the children that are part of the RENS. Dr Peter Liebman, who is a Professor of Education at the Brooklyn Heights school, has full-time graduate students and seniors provide the tutor services for RENS youngsters.Tutors are distributed out to the neighborhoods, schools and homes that the children are closest to.
With Porzingis averaging 1.2 blocks per game, every Knicks game is sure to help the youth of the New York RENS receive the SAT prep, tutoring, and tuition money they need to be successful.