Give a Day with Pau Gasol

Often times, professional athletes aren’t recognized for their altruistic deeds off-the-field. UNICEF Ambassador and LA Laker, Pau Gasol, bears no exception to the rule. Conduct a search on your favorite web browser and you will likely see results akin to last night’s box score or the incessant trade rumors. More important than making headlines however, Pau is working to raise awareness and proceeds to fight child malnutrition through his narration of "Give a Day", an interactive picture book available inside the PlayTales bookstore app for iOs (Apple) and Android devices. "This story is about helping children overcome life's greatest challenges, which is what UNICEF does every day in its work throughout the world," said Gasol.
Rob Crenshaw is a member of the Interactive Marketing team at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF Often times professional athletes aren’t recognized for their altruistic deeds off-the-field. UNICEF Ambassador and LA Laker, Pau Gasol, bears no exception to that rule. Conduct a search on your favorite web browser and you will likely see results akin to last night’s box score or the incessant trade rumors. More important than making headlines however, Pau is working to raise awareness and proceeds to fight child malnutrition through his narration of "Give a Day," an interactive picture book available inside the PlayTales bookstore app for iOs (Apple) and Android devices. Pau Gasol reads Give a Day Seemingly fluid as his jump-hook, Pau’s placid vocals against the backdrop of colorful graphic pages and enchanting music immediately engage the reader. You actually forget he battles for rebounds with 7-footers alike for a living. He begins to tell the story of two children, David and Kolobo, who coincidentally are waiting for the birth of their brother and sister respectively, but in environments contrasted by poverty and wealth. The arrival of their siblings bring the two together as David learns of the limited resources Kolobo’s mother has to feed her baby. Without hesitation, David demonstratively cracks open his piggy bank to send aid, teaching children the value of giving back. There are lessons within the story for adults as well. For instance, did you know that the first 1,000 days of a child’s life from conception through the age of two are the most important? A fact that one could assume, but that can easily be taken for granted. We often hear of the sleepless nights a new child brings, but seldom, if ever, about the challenges of providing them with food.  The next time you’re browsing in iTunes or the Android marketplace for that new app to mitigate life’s woes or to become the subject of envy amongst your early-adopter peers, think of David and Kolobo and "Give a Day."