Nonprofit and Celebrities Partner for Wheelchair Basketball Jam Benefit Saturday

Dreammakers Youth Foundation is hosting its eighth annual on Saturday, and this year is going to be the best yet.

Dream Makers Youth Foundation is a local nonprofit organization that provides therapeutic services and support to special needs children throughout Metro Atlanta.

As part of the basketball jam, each team has an even number of both wheelchair athletes and celebrities who take part in a basketball game to bring awareness to the abilities and talents of people with disabilities.

This year's celebrities include: Deon Grant of the New York Giants Superbowl championship team, world champion kickboxer Mark Selbee, paralympian Team USA basketball player Gavin Cloy, Jumpin' Jackie Johnson of the Harlem Globetrotters and more.

Local artists perform during half-time and attendees have the opportunity to win great raffle prizes.

“It’s my favorite event that our organization puts together because of the effect it has,” said Dream Makers Youth Foundation President and Founder Nikki Wilson.

She said one mother called her last week because her son was so excited about the event and wanted to know if his favorite wheelchair player would be there again this year.

“The purpose of the event is to introduce our community to wheelchair basketball and focus on the abilities of disabled athletes. We want people to focus on their abilities instead of focusing on their condition.”

Wilson is an occupational therapist who works in schools with children with special needs.

She said she founded the organization to help those children and others like them have opportunities to have fun and develop friendships.

“I just want to encourage people to feel comfortable about people who are disabled and feel comfortable with developing a relationship,” Wilson said.

The family-run organization is built on relationships, and having that support system helps all the children involved as well as their parents and guardians.

The wheelchair basketball game is just one of the many events hosted by DMYF throughout the year. Wilson said volunteers, sponsors and just attendants are needed to help the organization continue to offer the events and activities for the children.

The organization has been a great deal of work, and DMYF still has a great deal of land to cover, but it’s rewarding, Wilson explained.

“It’s a great feeling seeing something I dreamed of and founded coming to pass.”

The Wheelchair Basketball Jam is Saturday at 7 p.m. at Whitefield Academy. For more information about the event or the organization, call (678) 398-6693 or visit the website at www.dmyf.info.

The best part about DMYF is that the children it helps “feel comfortable, and I feel that they have developed more self-confidence, and they like being recognized for their abilities. This (wheelchair basketball game) gives them an opportunity to show off their skills,” Wilson said.