Alonzo Mourning-More Than Meets the Eye

Alonzo Mourning is commonly known for his skills on the court. As a previous NBA superstar, Alonzo gets lots of attention for being a 6 foot 10 center on the court whose number was the first to be retired on the Miami Heat. But there's more to Zo than getting awards such as a Defensive Player of the Year. Alonzo is a humanitarian at heart. Some people may fail to realize how charity-oriented Alonzo truly is and how much time and effort he devotes to raising money and supporting underprivileged children. My family and I continually support Alonzo Mourning Charities, an organization focused on the needs of young children in today’s complex society. You wouldn’t believe the time and effort Alonzo puts into helping these young children first hand. Not only has he created annual fundraising events such as Zo’s Summer Groove, he is involved on a much deeper level. The story that moves me the most is Alonzo’s interaction with a young boy named Zach. Although there have been many articles written on Zach, I heard the story from my dad who’s started to read Alonzo’s new book, “Resilience.” When you hear stories such as Zach’s, a kid who’s had a kidney transplant just like Alonzo, it tells you something. Zach’s transplant was successful for nine days when his body began to reject the new kidney. Zach was depressed and wouldn’t eat for weeks until Alonzo, a miracle worker, turned this child’s life around. When Alonzo heard about Zach’s refusal to eat food after his transplant, he invited him to a game. Before the game Alonzo showed Zach his muscles and said, “You want some of these, you’ve got to start eating; I had a transplant too, and look at me.” During the game, Zach asked for a hotdog and then nachos -- he was suddenly eating real food on his own. These instances remind us that beneath the load of suffering many underprivileged children face, there are still people out there who truly care. People like Alonzo who go to the extreme to better the lives of children in need, economically and emotionally. I may not know what it’s like to be in Zach’s shoes, but even to me Alonzo Mourning is unquestionably a hero.