Sunkist Growers is putting a spotlight on fresh citrus in sponsoring the inaugural Encore All-Star Games, featuring elite high school basketball talent.
The April 8 event will showcase senior basketball players from the greater Los Angeles region taking the court at St. John Bosco High School. Jerica Williams and D.J. Gay, girls and boys basketball program leads at Windward School, are also the organizers of the Encore All-Star Games.
“Growing up playing basketball in Los Angeles, there was nothing better than playing and watching the best compete against the best. These All-Star games provide a stage for the entire LA region to come together one final time,” Gay, a former All-City guard and San Diego State University Hall of Famer, said in a news release.
Representing the greater Los Angeles region, touted as a national hotbed for basketball talent, the 48 seniors — 24 girls and 24 boys — will compete with and against each other one final time in front of a local crowd. The All-Star games will be accompanied by dunk, 3-point and skills contests, according to the release.
“We’re excited to support the Encore All-Star Games, which is right here in our hometown,” Christina Ward, senior director of global marketing for Sunkist Growers, said in the release. “Thanks to our collaboration with sports nutritionists, we are able to deliver fun health hacks for hoopers and showcase the health benefits of Sunkist citrus to our next generation of athletes and all-stars. Sunkist is California grown and has been for 130 years. As a farmer-owned citrus cooperative, community is at the core of what we do.”
In a recent Sunkist blog, “Health Hacks for Hoopers,” sports nutritionist Kat Barefield lists five health hacks using in-season Sunkist citrus varieties:
- To help fuel on the go.
- To recover after a workout.
- To support your immune system.
- To add collagen to your routine.
- To satisfy your sweet tooth.
In addition to the games and contests, there will be activities for kids, giveaways, entertainment by DJ Lico and fun for the entire family, according to the release. Special guests include “King of NBA Twitter” Josiah Johnson, pro dunker Chris Staples, emcee and influencer Brandon “B dot” Armstrong and a dance group featuring Ferly Prado, among others.
“As former players and now as head coaches in the Los Angeles region, it is an honor to partner with Sunkist Growers and provide a stage that will be memorable for the players, the community and something younger players will look forward to in years to come,” Williams, a former player at UCLA and SDSU, said in the release.
Updates can be found on social media @EncoreAllStarGames on Instagram and EncoreAllStar on Twitter.
