Back in 2006 Dikembe Mutombo opened up the Biamba Maria Mutombo Teaching and Research Center in the Congo, a hospital named after his mother. For the past couple of years he's been tirelessly raising money for it, even using his own income to make sure the equipment is up-to-date, the center is staffed, and that it's helping the people of his home country.
At the Houston Rockets-Minnesota Timberwolves game last week, however, Mutombo got a little more help. Rockets owner Leslie Alexander dropped $500,000 towards Mutombo's hospital. The following night, Alexander dropped an additional $250,000 towards the hospital at the Rockets' Tux & Tennies Charity Gala with hopes of getting other people to contribute as well. The intention worked and by the end of the night, Mutombo raised $800,000 towards the hospital.
"When Dikembe asked me to use this as an event for his cause, he showed me a video of people in Africa going to a hospital," Alexander told the Houston Chronicle. "They bring their own mattress. They walk in. There's nobody there. There's no drugs. There's no medicine. There's no facilities. There's nothing. [My donation] meant a great deal. It meant he could buy many goods and medicines for the people of the Congo. He is part of the Rocket family. To help him was really special."
1. May God bless Dikembe Mutombo, for all he has done for his people and not forgetting where he come from. To bad there are not more Athlete and Celebrities willing to do the same for there Community. I take my hat off to you Dikembe Mutombo.
Lisa at 1:53PM on Apr 4th 2008