NBA's Stephen Curry PSA Released Nationwide

MCLEAN, Va., March 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- NBA basketball star Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors makes his debut this month as the national spokesperson for ThanksUSA, an organization that provides millions of dollars in scholarship aid to America's military families.

March marks the nationwide release of Curry's first ThanksUSA Public Service Announcement (PSA), a profound commitment of his caring heart, talents and skills. The 23-year-old Warriors point guard credits his own dreams and successes to a college award: "With my own scholarship I got a great education and an amazing career. That's why I support ThanksUSA."

ThanksUSA awards needs-based scholarships to children and spouses of active-duty members of the military across all services, including the Reserves and the National Guard, for college, university, vocational or technical schools. Since its inception in 2005, the non-profit, non-partisan charitable effort has awarded 2,200 scholarships, totaling more than $6 million, to military families in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

"This is a winning combination for our organization," said ThanksUSA executive director Michele Stork, in announcing the release of the first PSA in the Curry campaign. "With Stephen Curry on our team, we will be able to thank many, many more military families with the gift of education."

Curry continues to stack up win after win in his NBA career. In February, he not only triumphed, but dominated, in the 2011 All-Star Skills Challenge that rocked the Los Angeles Staples Center. The seventh overall selection by the Warriors in the 2009 NBA Draft, Curry also ranks second on the team in scoring (18.8 ppg) and first in assists (5.8). The Charlotte, NC native finished second in the NBA Rookie of the Year balloting last season while averaging 17.5 ppg and led all rookies in assists, steals, 3-point percentage and free throw percentage.

Curry calls on all Americans to help military families win, as well, with support from ThanksUSA. "With these scholarships," Curry says in his media appeal, "the spouses and children of our troops are getting an education that would otherwise be out of reach...Your support can help them win. And win big!"

On April 1, ThanksUSA begins its sixth year of accepting applications for scholarships.  Applicants will find eligibility requirements and the link for the online application at www.ThanksUSA.org on that day. Applications will then be accepted from April 1 through May 15, 2011.

For more information and to support ThanksUSA's scholarship fund, please visit www.ThanksUSA.org.

About ThanksUSA

Founded in the fall of 2005, ThanksUSA, a non-partisan 501(c) (3) organization, is an effort to thank the men and women of our armed forces and their families for their service to the country with the gift of education. The organization provides need-based, posts-secondary education opportunities to the children and spouses of active-duty status military personnel through competitive scholarships. For more information, visit www.ThanksUSA.org.

SOURCE ThanksUSA