First, Knicks players, coaches and Knicks City Dancers will take the kids on a tour of MSG Training Center, including a special locker room visit, basketball skills clinic and autograph session. The players will then join the children at The Children’s Village to spruce up an outdoor basketball court and have a backyard barbecue party to celebrate the day.

Below is an itinerary of events for the Knicks and Garden of Dreams “Dream Day”:

Who: Jared Jeffries, Larry Hughes, Darko Milicic, David Lee, Nate Robinson, Danilo Gallinari and the Knicks City Dancers

What: Players, dancers and kids take private tour of training center

When:        1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Where: MSG Training Center, Greenburgh, NY

Who: Al Harrington, Chris Duhon, Wilson Chandler, Jordan Hill and Toney Douglas

What: Players and kids paint and clean areas of the basketball court and have barbecue party

When:        3:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.

Where: The Children’s Village, Dobbs Ferry, NY

*In the event of inclement weather the entire event will take place at MSG Training Center*

The Garden of Dreams Foundation is a nonprofit charity that works closely with all areas of Madison Square Garden, including the Knicks, Rangers, Liberty, MSG Entertainment, MSG Media and Fuse to “make dreams come true for kids in crisis”. Garden of Dreams partners with local children’s hospitals, “wish” organizations and community-based organizations to build on-going, unforgettable programs for children in the tri-state area who are suffering from devastating illness, homelessness, abuse, hunger, extreme poverty and tragedy.

“We are very happy to have reached an agreement with Nate,” Walsh said. “Nate established himself as one of the top reserves in the game last season and we expect him to play a key role for us this season.”

Robinson, 5-9, 180-pounds, averaged career-highs of 17.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 29.9 minutes in a career-high 74 games during the 2008-09 season and finished third in the voting for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award. The Seattle, WA-native was also the winner of the 2009 Sprite Slam Dunk competition at NBA All-Star Weekend in Phoenix and joined Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Harold Miner and Jason Richardson as the only two-time winners of the competition. Robinson first won the award at the 2006 dunk contest in Houston.

Robinson has career averages of 12.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 282 career games over four NBA seasons all with New York. The University of Washington product was originally drafted following his junior season by the Phoenix Suns with the 21st overall pick of the 2005 NBA Draft, before having his draft rights traded to New York on draft night.

Tomorrow – Thursday, April 2, 2009

Red Carpet Arrivals at 6:30 p.m.

 

 

WHO:         The entire 2008-09 New York Knicks team, alumni and personnel, including Nate Robinson, Chris Duhon, David Lee, John Starks, Allan Houston and the WNBA’s New York Liberty alumna Kym Hampton

 

Celebrity guests expected to attend include: John Leguizamo, Chloe Sevigny, Justin Tuck, Kelly Bensimon, Michael Rapaport, D.L. Hughley, Vincent Pastore, Kerry Rhodes, SI Swimsuit models Jessica Gomes and Esti Ginzburg, among other models

 

WHAT:      “Knicks Bowl 10”, presented by Bud Light – celebrates a decade of giving with a fun-filled, celebrity-studded event, giving fans the opportunity to bowl with Knicks players and celebrities while raising money for the Garden of Dreams Foundation, a non-profit charity that works with all areas of Madison Square Garden to make dreams come true for kids in crisis. Since 2000, the Knicks have raised more than $1.5 million through the annual Knicks Bowl event.

 

WHEN:      Tomorrow – Thursday, April 2, 2009

6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

 

WHERE:   300 New York

Chelsea Piers, between Piers 59 & 60

(West 23rd Street and the West Side Highway)

 

In November, more than 1,300 people attended the Knicks Poetry Slam Open Audition and College Fair at Madison Square Garden, during which time students had the opportunity to enter two contests, in written and spoken word poetry. In the written contest category, three high school seniors will win full tuition four-year scholarships to college: two to the University of Wisconsin and one to Mercy College. In the spoken word competition, the top 150 entrants were selected from the Open Audition to participate in poetry workshops run by program partner Urban Word NYC, and 14 poets were selected to compete in the final competition. The first place winner will be awarded a $10,000 educational grant, $25,000 in Nike branded equipment donated to the winner’s school and a laptop computer. All finalists will receive prizes, including a customized pair of NIKEiD shoes.

 

Knicks Poetry Slam was created in 2003 to reach today’s high school youth by using the popularity of hip-hop and poetry as a vehicle to motivate and inspire expression through the written and spoken word. With the growth of the program, the Knicks and Urban Word NYC have provided greater opportunities for students to use their poetic skills and talents to pursue higher education.

 

WHO:                     Knicks Players Nate Robinson, Chris Duhon and Jared Jeffries

                                Knicks Alumni Earl Monroe, John Starks, Cal Ramsey, and Anthony Bonner

Hot 97 DJ Cipha Sounds

                                Blue Erro Soul recording artist Eric Roberson and Interscope recording artist Charles Hamilton

                                Hosted by Michael Ellison of HBO’s Def Poetry

 

WHAT:                   The NY Knicks, Urban Word NYC and Knicks Poetry Slam sponsors – Nike, Hot 97, Kiss FM, The Hymowitz Family Foundation and The Joan Goldstein Education Foundation – will be hosting the Knicks Poetry Slam Program’s Final Competition and award more than $250,000 in scholarships and prizes.

 

WHEN:                  Tuesday, March 3, 2009  

7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. (Doors Open at 6:00 p.m.)

 

WHERE:                The Grand Ballroom at the Manhattan Center

311 West 34th street – between Eighth and Ninth Avenues

CONTACTS: Sammy Steinlight (212) 465-6401 & Mandy Gutmann (212) 465-6394

 

To encourage the act of receiving and giving back, City Harvest will be collecting non-perishable food at the Children’s Aid Society between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Donations will also be accepted at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday when the Knicks host the Cleveland Cavaliers at 7:30 p.m. For more information, log on to gardenofdreamsfoundation.org or tune in to 1050 ESPN New York, the official radio home of the Knicks, who will be broadcasting live from Monday’s event.

 

Who:                Knicks players Jared Jeffries, Nate Robinson, Quentin Richardson, Wilson Chandler, Malik Rose, Anthony Roberson, and Eddy Curry

                        Knicks great Allan Houston

                        Scott O’Neil, President of MSG Sports

                        Steve Mills, President of Business Operations for MSG Sports

                        Knicks City Dancers and Knicks Groove Truck

                        Entertainment hosted by DJ Hill

                       

What:               Jared Jeffries and his teammates provide 300 families with Thanksgiving meals and food subsidies for the holidays

 

When:              Monday, November 24, 2008

                        8:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. (Players to begin food distribution at 4:15 p.m.)

 

Where:             The Children’s Aid Society’s Dunlevy Milbank Center

                        14-32 W 118^th St. between Lenox and Fifth Avenues in Harlem

                        Phelham Fritz Transitional Apartments located on same block