Gala co-chair and board member Martha Fling presented the 2012 Ackerman Distinguished Service Award to Baron Davis, a two-time NBA All-Star Veteran Point Guard, to honor his work with young people through the Rising Stars of America Foundation. Baron founded Rising Stars with a mission to use athletics as an entry point for young people to learn ethics, social values, and life skills.
In Baron’s words: “Rising Stars is about helping these kids find out who they are, teaching them skills and helping them to become young leaders in their communities. It’s also about teaching the parents how to coach their kids, how to be there for them, and when the parents are not there, that’s when we step in, and we bridge that gap. It is really an honor and a privilege to be here [accepting the Ackerman Distinguished Service Award].”