BBVA Compass brand ambassador Kevin Durant visits IDEA Public Schools' Rundberg campus where his foundation, bank are constructing court
'Where kids can learn some of life's most lasting lessons'
- Durant tells students the basketball court will be ready for play by month's end
- Event part of bank's mission to be engine of opportunity, caps bank's 100 Days of Brightness initiative
Sep 12, 2016, 03:24 ET
AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- BBVA Compass brand ambassador and NBA All-Star Kevin Durant made a towering debut Friday, September 9 at the IDEA Public Schools Austin's Rundberg campus, where the bank and the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation have set out to give the school a $100,000 outdoor basketball court where students can learn some of life's most lasting lessons.
Durant brought news to the 400 IDEA students assembled in the school's gymnasium that the court would be finished at month's end. The outdoor court is a joint endeavor between the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation's BUILD IT AND THEY WILL BALL court renovation program and the BBVA Compass Foundation, which helps carry out the bank's mission to be an engine of opportunity by broadening access to education and affordable housing, among other aims. The BBVA Compass Foundation is dedicating $100,000 to the effort, a vivid illustration of the bank's dedication to Austin and in the power of private industry to step in where other funding sources fall short.
"I am so thankful that I got the opportunity to visit IDEA Rundberg today and check in on the progress of the outdoor court we are building through the Build It and They Will Ball Initiative with my partner, BBVA Compass," said Durant. "I grew up playing on an outdoor court and it's a dream come true to provide these kids with the chance to create bright futures."
IDEA Austin's Rundberg campus, which has more than 700 students in its Academy and College Prep schools, is part of the growing IDEA Public Schools network of charter schools serving more than 24,000 students across Texas. While more than 90 percent of its students are considered low-income, 100 percent of the students in IDEA's Class of 2016 were accepted to at least one college, including Ivy League schools and other highly competitive universities.
As a charter school, IDEA Rundberg receives approximately 75 percent of its funding from state and federal sources, compared to traditional public schools, and relies on private donations to pay for its facilities.
"We're so proud to be able to pull together and do something for this special school and the promising young people who pass through its doors every day," said BBVA Compass Texas Regional Executive Jeff Dudderar. "We're here today because we believe in giving back to the community and helping to build bright futures for everyone, and this court is where kids can learn some of life's most lasting lessons — how to work hard, dream big, lean on others and be part of a team."
"It was important for us to come into the city of Austin, TX and leave a mark through the foundation's signature program," said Rich Kleinman, Vice President of the KDCF. "The Build It and They Will Ball initiative allows the KDCF to give back to communities in need and we are honored to see how excited the student body is to embrace this project."
The event Friday capped BBVA Compass' 100 Days of Brightness, a summer-long initiative designed to create smiles through random acts of kindness. It was also part of the bank's Bright Futures platform, which launched earlier this year, with Durant putting a voice to the campaign with his "Dare to be you" TV spot in February.
About IDEA Public Schools
IDEA Public Schools believes that each and every child can go to college. Since 2001, IDEA Public Schools has grown from a small school with 150 students to the fastest-growing network of tuition-free, Pre-K-12 public charter schools in the United States. IDEA was recently named America's Best Charter School Network and boasts national rankings on The Washington Post and U.S. News & World Report's top high schools lists. IDEA serves nearly 30,000 college-bound students in 51 schools across three Texas regions and is on-track to maintain its legacy of sending 100 percent of its graduates to college.
About BBVA Group
BBVA Compass is a subsidiary of BBVA Compass Bancshares Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of BBVA (NYSE: BBVA) (MAD: BBVA). BBVA is a customer-centric global financial services group founded in 1857. The BBVA Group is the largest financial institution in Spain and Mexico, has leading franchises in South America and the Sunbelt region of the United States and is also the leading shareholder in Garanti, Turkey's largest bank based on market capitalization. Its diversified business is focused on high-growth markets and it relies on technology as a key sustainable competitive advantage. Corporate responsibility is at the core of its business model. BBVA fosters financial education and inclusion, and supports scientific research and culture. It operates with the highest integrity, a long-term vision and applies best practices. The Group is present in the main sustainability indexes. More information about the BBVA Group can be found at bbva.com.
About BBVA Compass
BBVA Compass is a Sunbelt-based financial institution that operates 674 branches, including 345 in Texas, 89 in Alabama, 75 in Arizona, 62 in California, 45 in Florida, 38 in Colorado and 20 in New Mexico, and commercial and private client offices throughout the U.S. BBVA Compass ranks among the top 25 largest U.S. commercial banks based on deposit market share and ranks among the largest banks in Alabama (2nd), Texas (4th) and Arizona (4th). BBVA Compass was recently named Best Digital Bank in North America by global finance magazine Euromoney, and earned top nods for best mobile app and best regional bank in the South & West in Money magazine's annual list of the Best Banks in America. Additional information about BBVA Compass can be found at bbvacompass.com, by following @BBVACompassNews on Twitter or visiting newsroom.bbvacompass.com.
Editor's Note:
BBVA Compass is a trade name of Compass Bank.
About The Kevin Durant Charity Foundation
The Kevin Durant Charity Foundation (KDCF) is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization founded by Kevin Durant. The foundation's mission is to enrich the lives of at-risk youth from low-income backgrounds through education, athletic and social programs. The KDCF's signature initiative, the BUILD IT AND THEY WILL BALL Courts Renovation works to build or fully renovate basketball courts in underserved communities across the United States and internationally in addition to ensuring the courts are utilized for youth athletic programming. For more information on the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation please visit http://kevindurant.com/kevin-durant-charity-foundation/. Follow Kevin Durant on Twitter @KDTrey5, Instagram @easymoneysniper and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/KevinDurant.
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SOURCE BBVA Compass