Wiggins Partners with Until There�s A Cure Foundation
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MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL - Minnesota Lynx guard Candice Wiggins has become the latest celebrity to publicly join in the fight against HIV/AIDS by partnering with Until There's A Cure� (UTAC).
Wiggins is making it her mission to assist in the struggle against HIV/AIDS by becoming the newest spokesperson for the Until There's A Cure� (UTAC), a national organization dedicated to eradicating HIV/AIDS by raising awareness and funds to combat the pandemic.
Her mission is a personal one, as the daughter of the late Alan Wiggins, the seven-year MLB second baseman and left fielder who played for the San Diego Padres (1981-85) and the Baltimore Orioles (1985-87) who, at age 32, succumbed to complications from AIDS.
"I am so proud to partner with UTAC because raising awareness and finding a cure for the HIV/AIDS virus is my priority," said Wiggins. "I celebrate the memory of my father and his life fuels my energy and drive."
Wiggins, who was selected by the Minnesota Lynx with the third overall pick in the first round of the 2008 WNBA Draft, joins an impressive list of celebrities who have endorsed Until There's A Cure, including Jessica Alba, Kevin Bacon, Patricia Arquette, Alan Cumming, Laila Ali, Tara Reid, Mandy Moore, The Rock, Tony Hawk, Jenny McCarthy and many others.
The goal of UTAC is to fund prevention education, care services, and vaccine development using The Bracelet, a tool that serves as a bridge to unite people to fight HIV/AIDS as well as to increase awareness, compassion, understanding, and responsibility.
"The Minnesota Lynx organization is honored to support Candice's efforts to raise awareness and to educate youth about HIV/AIDS through her partnership with Until There's A Cure. We are so proud to have players like Candice as part of the Lynx family who continue to impress many with their dedication to excellence on the court and their desire to make a difference off the court. We encourage fans in Minnesota and fans around the country to support this cause by purchasing bracelets and spreading the word until there is a cure for HIV/AIDS," said Angela Taylor, Lynx Vice President of Business Operations.
The Minnesota Lynx will dedicate their June 10 game against the Connecticut Sun to Wiggins' new partnership with UTAC, with the first 5,000 fans in attendance receiving UTAC's The Bracelet in special Lynx team colors along with a copy of Wiggins' print public service announcement. Wiggins will be featured as the cover athlete on the Lynx gameday program and there will be an in-game feature on the Target Center scoreboard display during a timeout that highlights Wiggins' latest platform.
Various styles of The Bracelet will be on display at the Until There's A Cure booth at the Target Center during Tuesday night's game. Fans in attendance will also have the opportunity to purchase bracelets and enter to win the actual bracelet that Wiggins is wearing in the UTAC print public service announcement by stopping by the booth during the game.
To support Wiggins' outreach efforts, Until There's A Cure has agreed to donate 25 percent of the proceeds from the sale of bracelets that Wiggins generates to the organizations that she will be working with in Minnesota and California. The goal is to raise at least $20,000 through this initiative. To purchase The Bracelet, log on to www.lynxbasketball.com
"Until There's A Cure Foundation is very pleased and proud to have Candice Wiggins and the Minnesota Lynx leading our newest HIV/AIDS awareness efforts. Candice brings an especially poignant and personal story to the cause. With Candice wearing our bracelets and speaking out for HIV/AIDS, we are sure to engage and educate a greater number of people about HIV/AIDS and to increase public awareness of the need for prevention and for the development of a vaccine. We thank Candice and the Lynx organization for their amazing support," said Donna Allen, Board Chair of Until There's A Cure Foundation.
About Until There's A Cure
The Until There's A Cure Foundation is a national organization dedicated to eradicating HIV/AIDS by raising awareness and funds to combat the pandemic. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, UTAC was created by two California mothers who joined the fight against AIDS out of concern and commitment to their children and community. UTAC is the only organization to continually promote the cause by offering individuals a way to participate through the purchase and wear of The Bracelet, originally designed by Isabella Geddes Marquise da Filicaia. For more information on UTAC, the organization, its retailers, celebrity endorsers and grants, go to www.utac.org.
About the Minnesota Lynx
On April 22, 1998, the WNBA granted an expansion team to the city of Minneapolis, which would be operated by the Minnesota Timberwolves under the direction of owner Glen Taylor. The Minnesota Lynx joined the WNBA in 1999, with the team's home games played at the Target Center. The Lynx played the first game in their history on June 12, 1999, a 68-51 victory over the Detroit Shock before a crowd of 12,122 at the Target Center. In October 2002, Taylor became the majority owner of the Lynx after a change in the WNBA's ownership structure. Since the inaugural season in 1999, the Lynx have appeared in the WNBA Playoffs twice, in 2003 and 2004, and have featured some of the sport's greatest players in Seimone Augustus, Teresa Edwards, and Katie Smith. The Lynx are coached by Minneapolis native Don Zierden, the fifth coach in team history, and feature some of the most promising talent in the WNBA, including Augustus, 2008 Wade Trophy winner Candice Wiggins, 2007 and 2008 NCAA Champion Nicky Anosike, Anna DeForge, Lindsey Harding, Nicole Ohlde, Noelle Quinn and Charde Houston. The Lynx will celebrate their 10th Anniversary Season in 2008, becoming the 10th team in WNBA history to play at least 10 seasons.
To order The Bracelet, click here.