AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- BBVA Compass brand
ambassador and NBA All-Star Kevin
Durant made a towering debut Friday,
September 9 at the IDEA Public Schools Austin's Rundberg
campus, where the bank and the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation have
set out to give the school a $100,000
outdoor basketball court where students can learn some of life's
most lasting lessons.
Durant brought news to the 400 IDEA students assembled in the
school's gymnasium that the court would be finished at month's end.
The outdoor court is a joint endeavor between the Kevin Durant
Charity Foundation's BUILD IT AND THEY WILL BALL court renovation
program and the BBVA Compass Foundation, which helps carry out the
bank's mission to be an engine of opportunity by broadening access
to education and affordable housing, among other aims. The BBVA
Compass Foundation is dedicating $100,000 to the effort, a vivid illustration of
the bank's dedication to Austin
and in the power of private industry to step in where other funding
sources fall short.
"I am so thankful that I got the opportunity to visit IDEA
Rundberg today and check in on the progress of the outdoor court we
are building through the Build It and They Will Ball
Initiative with my partner, BBVA Compass," said Durant. "I grew
up playing on an outdoor court and it's a dream come true to
provide these kids with the chance to create bright futures."
IDEA Austin's Rundberg campus,
which has more than 700 students in its Academy and College Prep
schools, is part of the growing IDEA Public Schools network of
charter schools serving more than 24,000 students across
Texas. While more than 90 percent
of its students are considered low-income, 100 percent of the
students in IDEA's Class of 2016 were accepted to at least one
college, including Ivy League schools and other highly competitive
universities.
As a charter school, IDEA Rundberg receives approximately 75
percent of its funding from state and federal sources, compared to
traditional public schools, and relies on private donations to pay
for its facilities.
"We're so proud to be able to pull together and do something for
this special school and the promising young people who pass through
its doors every day," said BBVA Compass Texas Regional Executive
Jeff Dudderar. "We're here today
because we believe in giving back to the community and helping to
build bright futures for everyone, and this court is where kids can
learn some of life's most lasting lessons — how to work hard, dream
big, lean on others and be part of a team."
"It was important for us to come into the city of Austin, TX and leave a mark through the
foundation's signature program," said Rich
Kleinman, Vice President of the KDCF. "The Build It and
They Will Ball initiative allows the KDCF to give back to
communities in need and we are honored to see how excited the
student body is to embrace this project."
The event Friday capped BBVA Compass' 100 Days of Brightness, a
summer-long initiative designed to create smiles through random
acts of kindness. It was also part of the bank's Bright Futures
platform, which launched earlier this year, with Durant putting a
voice to the campaign with his "Dare to be you" TV spot in
February.
About IDEA Public Schools
IDEA Public Schools believes that each and every child can go to
college. Since 2001, IDEA Public Schools has grown from a small
school with 150 students to the fastest-growing network of
tuition-free, Pre-K-12 public charter schools in the United States. IDEA was recently named
America's Best Charter School Network and boasts national rankings
on The Washington Post and U.S. News & World
Report's top high schools lists. IDEA serves nearly 30,000
college-bound students in 51 schools across three Texas regions and is on-track to maintain its
legacy of sending 100 percent of its graduates to college.
About BBVA Group
BBVA Compass is a subsidiary of BBVA Compass Bancshares Inc., a
wholly owned subsidiary of BBVA (NYSE: BBVA) (MAD: BBVA). BBVA is a
customer-centric global financial services group founded in 1857.
The BBVA Group is the largest financial institution in Spain and Mexico, has leading franchises in South America and the Sunbelt region of
the United States and is also the
leading shareholder in Garanti, Turkey's largest bank based on market
capitalization. Its diversified business is focused on high-growth
markets and it relies on technology as a key sustainable
competitive advantage. Corporate responsibility is at the core of
its business model. BBVA fosters financial education and inclusion,
and supports scientific research and culture. It operates with the
highest integrity, a long-term vision and applies best practices.
The Group is present in the main sustainability indexes. More
information about the BBVA Group can be found at bbva.com.
About BBVA Compass
BBVA Compass is a Sunbelt-based financial institution that
operates 674 branches, including 345 in Texas, 89 in Alabama, 75 in Arizona, 62 in California, 45 in Florida, 38 in Colorado and 20 in New Mexico, and commercial and private client
offices throughout the U.S. BBVA Compass ranks among the top 25
largest U.S. commercial banks based on deposit market share and
ranks among the largest banks in Alabama (2nd), Texas (4th) and Arizona (4th). BBVA Compass was recently named
Best Digital Bank in North America
by global finance magazine Euromoney, and earned top nods for best
mobile app and best regional bank in the South & West in Money
magazine's annual list of the Best Banks in America. Additional
information about BBVA Compass can be found at bbvacompass.com, by
following @BBVACompassNews on Twitter or visiting
newsroom.bbvacompass.com.
Editor's Note:
BBVA Compass is a trade name of Compass Bank.
About The Kevin Durant Charity Foundation
The Kevin Durant Charity Foundation (KDCF) is a 501 (c)(3)
non-profit organization founded by Kevin Durant. The foundation's
mission is to enrich the lives of at-risk youth from low-income
backgrounds through education, athletic and social programs. The
KDCF's signature initiative, the BUILD IT AND THEY WILL BALL Courts
Renovation works to build or fully renovate basketball courts in
underserved communities across the United States and
internationally in addition to ensuring the courts are utilized for
youth athletic programming. For more information on the Kevin
Durant Charity Foundation please visit
http://kevindurant.com/kevin-durant-charity-foundation/. Follow
Kevin Durant on Twitter @KDTrey5, Instagram @easymoneysniper and on
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/KevinDurant.
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SOURCE BBVA Compass