The Sixers are using their time and their talent to give back through the team’s Assists for Safe Communities program

The 76ers are turning their on-court success into tangible change in the community. Through their Assists for Safe Communities program, in collaboration with Penn Medicine, the Sixers are donating $76 toward local nonprofit organizations with every assist recorded during the season.

And with 1,810 assists recorded so far, the team has raised over $130,000. Last season, the team recorded 1,901 assists — raising a total of $144,476.

As part of their partnership, the Sixers and Penn Medicine took the time to highlight the efforts of some of the local organizations committed to violence prevention, mental health, and trauma services. At each event, there were special appearances from players like Justin Edwards, Adem Bona, and Kelly Oubre Jr.

Here’s how the athletes are playing their part in the community …

Balloons decorated the Hall of Fame room at Xfinity Mobile Arena as Philadelphia-area coaches gathered to hear from Sixers assistant general manager Jameer Nelson and Penn Medicine trauma recovery specialist Rodney Babb.

Among those in the crowd was Valencia Peterson, the founder of Open Door Abuse Awareness Prevention, an organization founded in 2014 to provide young people, coaches, and community leaders with trauma-informed skills and resources.

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Peterson, also known as Coach V, has been coaching for over a decade. She started using sports to prevent violence as a coach for Pennwood High School’s football team. Since then, her work with Open Door Abuse Awareness Prevention has expanded.

“I’m really grateful that the Sixers invited our organization to be a part of the safe community endeavor,” Peterson said. “Honestly, because that’s what we’re about — creating a safe environment for kids. A non-violent atmosphere. So, for them to acknowledge that is powerful for us because we’re a grassroots organization that’s in the trenches.

“Today was one of those things where people that came here, got to hear a perspective of somebody who’s in the sport and experienced good coaches, bad coaches, lifetime lessons that are still with them today. It should impact the coaches to understand that they’re a powerful influencer.”

Nelson and Babb spoke to the coaches, discussing the importance of mental health and therapy. Nelson understands from personal experience how crucial it is to keep a healthy mind.

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“As a player, I used a therapist or psychologist, myself, when I was going through a tough time when my father passed,” said Nelson, a former St. Joseph’s Hawks star who spent 14 years in the NBA. “I look at it like this, we all come from different backgrounds, different parts of life. And we all endured something growing up. So, my first thought is to talk to the guys when they’re going through something. It’s not all about basketball and sometimes the basketball is affected by what’s going on outside of the building. It’s about getting down to the root of things and trying to help them be the best version of themselves each and every day.”

After the discussion with Nelson and Babb concluded, Sixers forward Justin Edwards discussed how his coaches impacted his life as a young player growing up in Philly.

“I have a lot of kids in the city that look up to me and want to be where I am,” Edwards said. “So I wanted to give [the coaches] words of wisdom and tips that my coaches gave to me. I hope they take away the ‘be patient’ part. Especially depending on what type of kids they’re coaching — whether that’s first to 12th grade. Just be patient.”

Nelson also left the coaches with another piece of advice.

“Don’t lose who you are,” he said. “Don’t let the coaching job control who you are. … The best coaches I met were the coaches who had a great relationship with their athletes.”

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A number of “little Adem Bonas” surrounded the 6-foot-10 center on the court at the Xfinity Mobile Arena.

Wearing matching white T-shirts with colorful artwork decorating the back, Bona signed autographs and interacted with the kids of Design FC, a youth organization that teaches creative thinking, self expression, and autobiographical storytelling through designing sports jerseys and apparel.

Bona had already gotten to know some of the kids a month earlier while visiting the non-profit organization to collaborate on a Sixers branded clothing item that he wore ahead of the home win over the Chicago Bulls in late March.

“It’s awesome to be able to connect with the kids,” Bona said. “That’s the things I love. That’s one of the things I love doing the most — connecting with the kids and the city and being able to spend time with them. It shows the team cares about helping out with the community and helping out with the city.”

Bona worked with the kids to come up with different ways to incorporate the city and the team into the design. The finished product features a number of the kids’ drawings, including basketball artwork and sketches of the Liberty Bell decorating the back. The front of the shirt says, “We love Adem B. here at Design FC.”

Bona said designing the T-shirt was a fun experience — but it was also a learning experience for the 23 year old who grew loving soccer in Nigeria.

“They asked me why the team was named the 76ers, which is funny,” Bona said. “But I said great question and I also learned in the moment. It was named the 76ers because that was when the United States was founded and Philly is the birthplace of the country. So, it was named after the year the country was founded.”

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Kelly Oubre Jr., spent his time working with Assists for Safe Communities at The Apologues, a fashion and art exhibit that tells the stories of victims and survivors of violence through fashion, music, and art. Oubre met with eight families to discuss the importance of expressing oneself through art as they walked around the exhibit.

Oubre was joined by Veronica Spinden, a senior allied clinical therapist at Princeton House Behavioral Health, and took the time to speak with the group about ways to decompress and focus on time for oneself.

The Apologues was founded in 2018 by Zarinah Lomax, an award-winning talk-show host, producer, author, curator, entrepreneur, and communal activist. Through The Apologues, Lomax and artists humanize those lost through violence and those left behind.

“It was a really special event to be a part of,” Oubre said. “Talking with the families of those who have lost loved ones to violence and seeing them find peace through art was humbling. They’ve been through a lot but they’re able to use art to express themselves, which is important. It really puts things into perspective.“