It was brought to our attention that on Thursday, January 6th, 2022, the Camden community suffered a terrible tragedy with the loss of Camden basketball legend Donald Polk.

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Don was widely considered one of the greatest basketball names in Camden history and will be remembered for his selfless spirit both on and off the court.  His non-profit, Below the Rim, allowed him to train 300 Camden youth per year in the sport that he loved.

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Don’s desire to empower Camden youth athletes aligns perfectly with Finnley’s desire for The Gift of Sport's emPOWERment Program to do the very same.  It is a similar shared vision to do good both on and off the field and to help lift up others through sport.

 

Don’s sister Danielle mentioned in an article written after his passing that he would often say, “Never stop doing for others; you never know what they are going through.”  Also, according to another article, Don’s nephew asked mourners to keep his uncle’s memories alive by emulating the way he treated others.

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It is because of all of this that we are choosing, with his family’s permission, to honor Don’s legacy by naming the emPOWERment Program after him and by continuing to give training opportunities to the community he loved so much.

 

Moving forward, beneficiaries will be receiving pre-paid training sessions to Parisi South Jersey speed school through The Gift of Sport's Donald Polk emPOWERment Program.  In using his name for these efforts, we hope to do both his legacy and his family proud.