Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union may not be able to join students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High and other schools for their "March For Our Lives" walk next week in Washington, D.C., but the celebrity couple is making sure others will have that chance.
Wade and Union have donated $200,000 to help students from Wade's hometown of Chicago join the gun control rally scheduled for March 24.
Wade, who has been diligent in his support for the students and school where 14 students and three adults were killed by a gunman on Feb. 14, sent a message Saturday on Twitter asking his fellow NBA players to join in donating to help send students to Washington. "Every dollar counts! Who else is in?" he wrote.
Spoke to my brother @carmeloanthony & we're standing w/ students from MSD. We both come from communities where gun violence is an every day occurence. Enough is Enough! On March 24th, students across the country will be in DC and in their local cities to #MarchForOurLives
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) March 10, 2018
They need our help! I'm asking my NBA fam to join us in raising money to send kids from underserved communities to March….@gabunion and I will start w/$200K for Chicago. every dollar counts! Who else is in?? Or donate here: https://t.co/pu10Gp76on #GetTheBallRollin
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) March 10, 2018
Oklahoma City's Carmelo Anthony posted that he and Wade are "on the same page… Standing with the students of MSD – both of us come from hometowns where the violence NEEDS to stop. March 24th in DC."
Anthony later announced he is supporting his native Baltimore community, tweeting that the NBA Foundation will match up to $25,000 for all NBA player donations.
.@DwyaneWade and I on the same page... Standing with the students of MSD - both of us come from hometowns where the violence NEEDS to stop. March 24th in DC... #MarchForOurLives #STAYME7O https://t.co/TaZxPRHHmS
— Carmelo Anthony (@carmeloanthony) March 10, 2018
I'm giving and supporting to my community and the students of Baltimore. @TheNBPA Foundation will match up to $25k for all @NBA player donations. Let’s #GetTheBallRolling. Donate now & let’s stop the violence: https://t.co/TaZxPRHHmS#STAYME7O #brotherhood
— Carmelo Anthony (@carmeloanthony) March 10, 2018
Wade continued his support when he helped turn an empty warehouse into a tribute to honor the victims of the shooting. Adam Alhanti, a junior at Stoneman Douglas, praised the gesture on Sunday.
Last night was absolutely beautiful. @DwyaneWade team turned an empty warehouse into a wonderful tribute to honor the victims of the MSD shooting and also displayed the harsh truth of gun violence in this country. Wonderful job @BStyleINC @lisjoseph #marchforourlives #neveragain pic.twitter.com/JGaR9jS4VO
— Adam Alhanti (@AAlhanti) March 11, 2018
Wade has visited Stoneman Douglas and spent time with the parents of Joaquin Oliver after the parents of the 17-year-old, who was killed during the attack, revealed their son was buried wearing a Wade Heat jersey.
"They are well-prepared and well-aware of what they need to do and what they want to do and the change they want to see," Wade said about his March 10 trip to school. It was the first full day of classes since the shooting.
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“It’s great. It’s great to hear,” Wade said. “It’s great to see that, because I come from a community in Chicago where our youth are getting killed daily and don’t have the same voice, don’t have the same light on them that Parkland has. These kids understand what they have, and they’re taking other kids with them.
“I’m excited about getting behind and supporting them.”
Wade's mother, Jolinda, and his sister, Tragil, met and spoke with Joaquin's parents, Manuel and Patricia, at their Coral Springs, Florida, home. Patricia, Manuel and their daughter, Andrea, were guests of Wade's at the Heat's game against the Detroit Pistons on March 3 in Miami.
Wade presented the family with a Heat Vice jersey and custom-made sneakers after the game.
Thank you so much once again @DwyaneWade and your team for putting together this beautiful exhibit to honor the 17 lives that were taken from us. Good job on that dub @miamiheat #GetTheBallRollin #marchforourlives #neveragain pic.twitter.com/fIJeOzQSCK
— Adam Alhanti (@AAlhanti) March 11, 2018
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