Fort Wayne & NE Indiana News

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Mad Ants Spread Joy this Holiday Season Through Toy Drive

The Fort Wayne Mad Ants, sponsored by Lutheran Health Network, will be spreading much joy this holiday season, made possible by a gracious 15,000 toy donation from the Indiana Pacers.

During the month of December, in coordination with the D-League Care’s Season of Giving initiative, the Mad Ant players, Madame Ant dancers, coaching staff, the Mad Ant mascot, and staff will be delivering toys to various organizations in the Fort Wayne and surrounding areas up until Christmas. Toys are for both boys and girls of all ages and range from dolls and tiaras to action figures and puzzle games.

The Mad Ants invite media to attend the drop offs within the community, and will release a schedule of those drop-offs/pickups in a week by week basis.

If you know of any area organizations hosting a toy drive this holiday season, we would love to spread holiday cheer and donate toys! Please contact Kara Stevenson (kstevenson) for more information.

The Mad Ants travel to Westchester for a weekday matinée match-up with the Knicks this Wednesday, December 2nd at 11:00 a.m. The team comes home to host the Canton Charge on Friday December 4th with tipoff set at 7:30 p.m. Fans can purchase Mad Ants tickets, which start at just $6, at the Memorial Coliseum Box Office, by visiting www.ticketmaster.com, or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000.

About the NBA Development League: The Fort Wayne Mad Ants, presented by Lutheran Health Network, are the NBA Development affiliate of the NBA Indiana Pacers. Established in 2007, the Mad Ants have marked their success in back-to-back Championship appearances, coming out on top in 2014 and returning to the Championship series in 2015. The 2014-2015 season also named the Mad Ants as the NBA Development League Development Champions, which recognizes the team that best embodies the NBA D-League’s goals of developing NBA-caliber basketball talent through call-ups and assignments. The NBA Development League is the NBA’s official minor league, preparing players, coaches, officials, trainers, and front-office staff for the NBA while acting as the league’s research and development laboratory. Featuring 19 teams with direct affiliations with NBA franchises for the 2015-16 season, the league offers elite professional basketball at an affordable price in a fun, family-friendly atmosphere. An all-time high 38 percent of all NBA players at the end of the 2014-15 season boasted NBA D-League experience. In fostering the league’s connection to the community, its teams, players and staff promote health and wellness, support local needs and interests, and assist in educational development through NBA D-League Cares programs. Fans can watch all NBA D-League games on nbadleague.com.