WHAT:
•
Fresno Pacific University men's and women's basketball will sign
7-year-old Dominic Bledsaw and 6-year-old Norah Kerr of Fresno, Calif. as the newest members of their teams during an inspirational Team IMPACT Draft Day celebration, sponsored by Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Norah lives with Dandy-Walker Syndrome, and Dominic is one of 30,000 people in the United States living with cystic fibrosis (CF). By sponsoring Draft Days of children with CF, Vertex Pharmaceuticals helps spread awareness for the disease—and the life-long, positive effects Team IMPACT has on these children.
• Team IMPACT is a national nonprofit that connects children facing serious and chronic illnesses with local college athletic teams, forming life-long bonds and life-changing outcomes. Through the support of Vertex Pharmaceuticals, children who have CF, like Dominic, are drafted onto local college athletic teams and become an official member of the team to support the child's physical, social and emotional needs. By being a part of the Fresno Pacific University Basketball program, Dominic and Norah will attend Sunbirds' practices, games, team dinners, events and more.
WHO:
• Top 2018 recruit
Dominic Bledsaw of Fresno, California.
• Top 2018 recruit
Norah Kerr of Fresno, California.
• Fresno Pacific University men's and women's basketball teams.
• Since 2011, Team IMPACT has matched nearly 1,600 children with more than 500 colleges and universities in 49 states, reaching over 50,000 participating student athletes. The child joins the athletic team and the student athletes join the child's support team – from Draft Day to Graduation. During the journey, the child gains strength, camaraderie and support while the student-athletes experience lessons of courage, resiliency and perspective they can't learn in a classroom. Dominic and Norah's determination to persevere through adversity has already made them an inspiration to their future Sunbird teammates.
WHEN:
• Saturday, November 24, 2018
• 12:00 P.M.
(suggested media arrival 11:45 A.M.)
WHERE:
• Fresno Pacific University Special Events Center
• 1718 S. Winery Ave, Fresno, CA 93727
DRAFT DAY MEDIA MOMENTS:
• Dominic and Norah signing official Letters of Intent before their family and friends.
• Visuals of Dominic, Norah and their 2018 Fresno Pacific University men's and women's basketball teammates.
• Other special guests, as well as exciting and inspirational moments.
About Team IMPACT
• Team IMPACT is a national nonprofit headquartered in Boston that connects children facing serious or chronic illnesses with college athletic teams, forming life-long bonds and life-changing outcomes. Team IMPACT has more than 1,000 teams across the country waiting to be matched with children, ages 5-16, who have been diagnosed with a life-threatening or chronic illness and who could benefit from becoming a member of the team. If you know a child who may be interested, visit
www.goteamimpact.org for more information.
About Vertex Pharmaceuticals
• Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people with serious and life-threatening diseases. In addition to clinical development programs in CF, Vertex has more than a dozen ongoing research programs focused on the underlying mechanisms of other serious diseases.
• Founded in 1989 in Cambridge, Mass., Vertex's headquarters is now located in Boston's Innovation District. Today, the company has research and development sites and commercial offices in the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia and Latin America. Vertex is consistently recognized as one of the industry's top places to work, including being named to
Science magazine's Top Employers in the life sciences ranking for nine years in a row. For additional information and the latest updates from the company, please visit www.vrtx.com.
