First and foremost, congratulations are in order to not only the Redeem Team for bringing home the Gold and putting the United States back on top of the basketball universe, but to each and every Olympian that draped themselves in the red, white and blue at the Olympic games.  Whether you came home with a medal around your neck or not, you represented yourselves and our country with dignity, honor and respect.  (Moondog, cue up Lee Greenwood.)

I want to take a minute from the normal sarcastic and humorous tone of my blogs that you have become accustomed to and shift gears for a minute.  For the past 2 weeks, the entire Cavaliers organization has been holding various fundraising events in cooperation with the United Way.  These "fun-raising" events were comprised of things like a silent auction, the opportunity to drop our President, Len Komoroski, in a dunk tank, an all you can eat breakfast buffet, a hot dog luncheon buffet and even a 3-point shooting competition and skills challenge.  Unfortuntately, yours truly will be unable to participate in the challenge because of an upcoming shoulder surgery that will repair a torn labrum and ligaments I suffered during on of our morning runs with "the clique" before work.  My money is on Brew or The Source (Admin6).  But I digress...

The United Way provides programs for more than 400,000 of us each year through nearly 180 programs.  In 2008 alone, the United Way will spend over $53 MILLION in health and humanity services in our community.  They are responsible for programs that help people of all ages and capacities.  The money's collected go to support the basic needs of children such as child care for low-income families, mental services, adoption services or just overall youth development.  They help adults overcome substance abuse, disabilities, assets with training and services for displaced workers and literacy programs.  The United Way also makes a conscious effort to help the elderly in our community as well with hospice care, senior centers and transportation services.  They are like LeBron, they do it all.  But just like LeBron, they can't do it without help. 

I commend not only all who have donated these past two weeks in our company but, more importantly, the people here at the Cavaliers who put these past two weeks together.  They have made all of us aware of the need and importance of the United Way in our community and that we all have a responsibility to help our community and those who are unable to help themselves.

Whether it is the United Way or another organization in your area that you can assist with, there are ways that you can help make the place you call home a better place for everyone who shares it with you.  Regardless of whether you're on the court, at home, at work or in the community, remember that it is, has been and forever will be: All for One.  One for All.