With the news of Billy King's departure as president and general manager of the 76ers ("New game plan for 76ers," Dec. 5), we felt compelled to be equally public in our support of a great friend to Philadelphia and a champion of the fight to eliminate childhood cancer.
King was a member of the original board of Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation in January 2005, and he was one of the first people to visit Alex's stand in our front yard. He was instrumental in lending credibility to her efforts early on.
His willingness to be interviewed about how inspired he was by Alex helped put Alex's Lemonade Stand on the map.
The continued involvement of Billy and his wife, Melanie, with Alex's Lemonade has opened doors and helped bring the foundation to where it is today - one of the top charitable foundations in the area of childhood cancer research, with donations topping $16 million to date.
As he enters a new chapter of his career, Billy King continues to be an important part of the Philadelphia community. He once honored our daughter Alex as a hometown hero; we want the world to know he's a hero in our book as well.
Elizabeth and Jay Scott
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation
Wynnewood
» READ MORE: www.alexslemonade.org