Aside from his success in the basketball court, Dwight Howard is also a philanthropist in the making as he established the Dwight D. Howard Foundation as part of his off-court activities.

Founded in 2004, the Dwight D. Howard Foundation offers scholarships for students who are interested in studying in his alma mater, Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy. The foundation also offers grants to Lovell Elementary School and Memorial Middle School in Orlando, Florida.

The Dwight D. Howard Foundation organizes basketball camps for boys and girls in the summertime. The basketball program opens its doors to kids who are eager to be trained by high school and college coaches and players. Dwight Howard also gives the kids an opportunity to play with his fellow NBA players at the camp.

On April 16, 2010 Dwight Howard personally donated $100,000 to the displaced Haitian children who were hit by the 2010 earthquake.

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In 1991, the NBA star proclaimed to the world that he had HIV. He retired abruptly that year, though he was invited to play in the 1992 All-Star game.

It was this experience which prompted him to form the Magic Johnson Foundation. The foundation was Johnson’s instrument to connect with the community. The foundation caters to programs such as Community-based Grants, Social Programs & Resources, Taylor Michaels Scholarship Program and Empowerment Centers.

Since 2003, the foundation has aided over 38,000 Americans in 16 major cities by providing free HIV/AIDS test. Moreover, the program has educated virtually 280,000 people about HIV and the risk factors related with the disease. Since his retirement, Earvin Magic Johnson has become an active promoter for HIV/AIDS prevention, as well as a motivational speaker and philanthropist. He also founded the Magic Johnson Enterprise, which lives by the motto “We are the communities we serve.”

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Carmelo Anthony, or Melo, as he is fondly called by fans, is a speaker for the Family Resource Center and aids in organizing “A Very Melo Christmas,” a Christmas party for underprivileged children. He donated $1.5 million to the Living Classrooms Foundation, a non-profit organization that offers modern education, job training and community service programs for more than 35,000 children, youth and young adults in the East Baltimore community.

After the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, Melo Anthony bestowed the relief efforts with $35,000, which came from a regular game against San Antonio and Houston where each of his points was worth $1,000. He also donated $3,000,000 toward the newly-planned basketball practice facility at Syracuse University. The facility will be named the Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center.

Carmelo Anthony was also ranked 8th in 2006’s The Giving Back 30 List of Largest Charitable Donations by Celebrities.

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After retirement, < ahref='http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,624659,00.html">Jordan has been active in business and humanitarian work, having made various contributions to charity to support children, family issues and disaster relief. He has auctioned off some of his basketball equipment and memorabilia for charity and holds the Michael Jordan Golf Invitational to raise funds.

• In 1994, Jordan founded the James R. Jordan Boys and Girls Club and Family Life Center in the memory of his father. Located in Chicago, Illinois, Jordan gave $2 million to construct the sprawling facility that houses a computer center, science lab, healthcare, clinic, gym, day care center and more. The Center caters to more than 1,000 children and families each week.

• He collaborated with Nike-subsidiary Jordan Brand to make a donation of $500,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Louisiana’s Slidell Unit to help finance the construction of a new athletic gymnasium that the kids of the Boys and Girls Club will use for their activities and community events.

• In 2006, he donated $450,000 to Habitat for Humanity to aid rebuilding efforts in Louisiana in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Through Hoops for Homes, a program created to benefit the relief operations, several pairs of Michael Jordan autographed Air Jordan shoes were auctioned off to raise additional funds. The auction money helped rebuilt the homes ravaged by the hurricane in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans.

• Jordan also supports education initiatives. Parts of the proceeds from his auctions go to Jordan Fundamentals, an education program which grants $1 million annually for teachers. In 2006, he and his then-wife Juanita made a $5 million donation to Chicago’s Hales Franciscan High School.

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• Armstrong developed the Livestrong wristband concept, helping to raise money for cancer research. Marketed with cooperation from Nike, the band became an extremely popular fashion accessory in 2004.
• Established the Lance Armstrong Foundation, a charitable organization, in 1997. The organization provides fundraising, cancer education, patient advocacy, and research.
• Through his charitable organizations and programs, Armstrong has helped raise $55 million for cancer survivors. The effectiveness of the Lance Armstrong Foundation has made Armstrong an international hero.

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