Stepping Stones Museum for Children shoots a game-changing shot for local children by getting an assist from a legendary UConn basketball player.
During “An Evening with Rebecca Lobo” on May 17, local hoops fans have the rare chance to meet the women’s basketball icon while helping to support the museum’s summer learning programs.
— an announcement from Stepping Stones Museum
This memorable evening with Basketball Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo will fund programs such as Camp ELLI, which provides children from underserved backgrounds with little to no formal preschool learning a literacy and language-rich summer filled with fun learning experiences that will prepare them for kindergarten in the fall.
“These children often face greater challenges and require more resources to support their development,” said Rhonda Kiest, president of Stepping Stones. “Therefore, Stepping Stones aims to fully fund 200 scholarships so children in need can attend this program.”
Lobo’s inspiring message will include:
• The importance of teamwork – anecdotes from her life and career
• The importance of balancing academics and sports
• Academics – the importance of preschool education
• Summer programs – the impact of summer learning to prevent “summer slide”
Rebecca Lobo is currently a women’s basketball analyst for ESPN. She has met presidents, flown on Air Force One, played Sesame Street’s Big Bird, acted on network sitcoms, and chatted on the famed couches of David Letterman and Conan O’Brien.
In 1995, she was the transcendent star of UConn’s first women’s basketball national championship team. The next year, she was the youngest member of the gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic team at the Atlanta games.
In 1997, Lobo was one of the original 16 players signed to the WNBA. Following a successful all-star career with the New York Liberty, she was immortalized as an inaugural member of the team’s Ring of Honor.
However, her athletic accolades didn’t end there. In 2010, Lobo was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. Last fall, she took her rightful place alongside the sport’s greatest players and contributors when she as enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in nearby Springfield, MA.
The newly-minted Hall of Famer will tip off the event at Stepping Stones Museum for Children at 5:30 p.m. via a VIP reception with photo ops and mini-basketballs for purchase that she can then sign (package purchase required).
Finally, at 7 p.m. she will deliver an inspiring keynote address and Q&A session about the importance of balancing athletics and education through family as well as utilizing mentor support and other resources such as summer learning.
Providing important sponsorship support for this special event are National Champion Sponsor — People’s United Bank; MVP Sponsor – Outdoor Sports Center; and All-Star Sponsors – Bigelow Tea and Stamford Health. Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available at all levels.
For more information, to purchase tickets or make a donation to the museum, visit www.steppingstonesmuseum.org/donate or call 203 899 0606, ext. 246.
Tickets for the event, as well as any donations, are tax-deductible: VIP & Keynote Package: $100/adults, $40/students 18 & under; Keynote Only: $50/adults, $20/students 18 & under.
To make a donation, add $100 or more to an order or in lieu of buying a ticket to further support summer learning programs and also receive an autographed mini-basketball from Rebecca Lobo.
(One signed basketball per $100 donated & limit 5 per family.) Space is limited for this event, so reserve your spot or make a donation today.
About Stepping Stones Museum for Children
Stepping Stones Museum for Children in Norwalk is an award-winning, private, non-profit 501(c)(3) children’s museum committed to broadening and enriching the lives of children and families.
Located on five acres in Mathews Park, the LEED Gold certified museum encompasses five hands-on galleries, multimedia theater, Family and Teacher Resource Center, café and retail store.
Stepping Stones also offers onsite educational events and workshops, school and group programs and traveling resources for schools, libraries and youth-serving organizations.
Stepping Stones is located at 303 West Avenue, exit 14N or 15S off I-95 in Norwalk. Museum hours are Labor Day through Memorial Day, Tuesday—Sunday and holiday Mondays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Memorial Day through Labor Day, Monday-Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission is $15 for adults and children and $10 for seniors. Children under 1 are free.