July 08, 2009 I The five-day RRA & Seminole Hard Rock Present The Summer Groove Hosted by Zo and D. Wade (ZSG) weekend event was the largest South Florida has seen, as Alonzo Mourning and Dwyane Wade hosted a youth sports conference and basketball clinic, golf classic, comedy show, benefit dinner, youth summit, free block party, and an all-star basketball game. The event, in its 13th year, took place throughout South Florida from July 8 - 12, 2009, benefitting Alonzo Mourning Charities and Wade's World Foundation.

"The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and its team members were pleased to be the host of The Summer Groove. We know we played a role in helping Alonzo Mourning Charities and Wade's World Foundation have a successful weekend and better serve our community," said Phil Madow, President of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. "Alonzo and Dwyane are great partners in our community and we enjoyed being their host and partner for the Summer Groove."

Original founder of ZSG, Mourning has kept his largest fundraising event strong and exciting for 13 consecutive years. This was Wade's second year teaming up with Mourning to host ZSG, and the dynamic duo will continue to do so for years to come. "We appreciate the love and support of all of fans and friends from throughout South Florida who joined us this week," said Mourning. "Your dedication and participation go a long way in helping us make a great impact in the youth we serve in the community and the programs we support," adds Wade.

More than 600 Publix Super Markets shoppers gathered in front of the Publix at The Harbour Shops in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on Saturday, June 13th in anticipation of catching a glimpse and even an autograph or handshake from their favorite NBA Champs, Alonzo Mourning and Dwyane Wade.

Mourning and Wade geared up for ZSG by teaming up with Publix Super Markets, Pepsi Bottling Company, Heineken USA, Colgate-Palmolive, Thomas', Nature's Own, and Pepperidge Farm Flavor Blasted Goldfish to get South Floridians ready for South Florida's largest summer event. The first 333 Publix guests had the opportunity to meet and greet Mourning and Wade during an in-store autographs.

More than 600 kids, over the course of two days, had the opportunity to learn basketball fundamentals, participate in numerous interactive activities, and hear key messages about discipline and perseverance that can be applied to all aspects of life.

As an added bonus, professional athletes from around the league, including Mourning and Wade, stopped by to share their inspirational stories of achievement, making it a memorable summer experience for each child to cherish. Discussions included:

• Making the Grade presented by Cheryl Golden, Instructional Supervisor of Greater Miami Athletic Conference (the transition from high school to college)
• High off the Hype presented by Terrance Cribbs-Lorrant, Founding Partner of Better Communities of America and Director of Special Projects and Family Living at Work America, Inc. (affects of drugs and alcohol and the consequences of abusing these
• Man to Man presented by Sherri Lockett, Retired Miami-Dade County Police Sergeant (respecting relationships)
• And a Panel Discussion on the struggles panelists faced transitioning from high school to college and then from college to the professional world and how they managed to turn their love of sports into a career, featuring panelists Mourning, Wade, Daryl Jones (General Manager of Nike's Eastern Region), and Moderator Wali Jones (The Miami Heat's Community Relation Coordinator)

The Youth Basketball Sports Conference was held at the Overtown Youth Center on Wednesday, July 8th, officially kicking off ZSG. The Youth Basketball Clinics were held at the Miramar Youth Enrichment Center on Friday, July 10th.

Golfers teed-off on Thursday, July 9th at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa alongside Mourning on the Blue Monster (hole 9), Wade on the Red Course (hole 11), and Carlos Boozer (Utah Jazz) on the White Course (hole 4). Highlights included a premium gift bag with golf gear upon arrival (including a Nike Golf polo, glove, footwear, head gear, golf balls, and other great swag!), welcome breakfast reception, popular restaurants serving up unlimited food and beverages on all courses (provided by 660 Mediterranean, Dave & Buster′s, Hooters, Kitchen at the Anglers, Lucky Strike, Prime 112, Prime Italian, Smith & Wollensky, and more), numerous contests and prizes, and many highlights on the greens such as Bacardi Bars, Baptist Health, Lexus Hole-In-One, Rejuvenation Stations, and Ultimate Cigar Stations. Other athletes and friends from the sporting world who joined in the game included Raja Bell (Charlotte Bobcats), Vonte Davis (Miami Dolphins), Jeff Ireland (Miami Dolphins General Manager), Mike James (Washington Wizards), Roland Martin (CNN reporter), Jason Taylor (Miami Dolphins), Chris Wilcox (New York Knicks), Isiah Thomas (FIU Panthers Coach), Roger Mason, Jr., Donna Richardson (fitness pro); former NBA players Tim Hardaway, Allan Houston, Penny Hardaway, Glen Rice, and Eric Murdock; former NFL players Eric Dickerson, Leon Lett, Keith Byars, Tony Nathan, Kijana Carter, Michael Williams, Duane Starks, Terry Kirby, Henry Lawrence, James Pruitt, Sean Hill, Kerry Glenn, Lorenzo Hampton, Cornelius Bennett, Bobby Harden, and Charles Bennett; and former MLB star Ken Griffey Sr.

Over the past 12 years, ZSG has presented South Florida with one of the hottest comedy shows in town - year 13 was no different! Comedians from around the country brought their best jokes and latest hits to ZSG on Friday, July 9th at Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The line-up of comedians including Cedric the Entertainer (The Original Kings of Comedy), Kevin Hart, Gary Owen, Aries Spears (Mad TV), Malik S., Tony Roberts, Benji Brown, and Shawn Morgan kept guests on their feet and filled with laughter all evening. The red carpet welcomed celebrities including John Legend, Carmelo Anthony, Gabrielle Union, Dorell Wright, and many more.

The ZSG Youth Summit was designed to open the lines of communication for today's youth to discuss the real issues that are happening at this stage of their lives.

The emotional discussion touched on difficult issues including death, drugs and perseverance. Prominent leaders in the community, including Alonzo & Tracy Wilson Mourning, Dwyane Wade, Adam Kuperstein (NBC6), Roland Martin (CNN), Terrance J (BET's 106 and Park), Cheryl James (aka Salt from Salt-N-Peppa), Sanna Lathan (actress), Gabrielle Union (actress), and more discussed issues they faced when growing up and listened to stories from their young audience.

This year's Youth Summit took place on Saturday, July 11th at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and focused on violence including self-esteem/self-worth, peer pressure, avoidance and protection, and resolution. A local group, City of God, also performed their inspirational messages for the group.

Guests stepped into an era of past paradise glamour on Saturday evening, July 11th for the annual ZSG Benefit Dinner. The catered event hosted 980 guests and began with a two-hour cocktail reception in Hard Rock Live's lobby. Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, and Sammy Davis, Jr. impersonators greeted guests to the gala dinner and entertained on-stage. A live auction with luxury items including one-of-a-kind sports memorabilia and personal experiences with celebs from the sports and entertainment world raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in part by the generous donations. Guests grooved to the soulful jazz and blues that embodied resort Deco nightlife and enjoyed a special performance by Lalah Hathaway as they dined alongside Mourning and Wade and their celebrity friends including Mistress of Ceremony Holly Robinson-Peete and Master of Ceremony Kenny Smith.

Sunday, July 12th kicked off at noon with a massive free block party hosted by Mourning and Wade where thousands of fans and families packed the streets in front of the AmericanAirlines Arena to get ready for the big game. The ZSG Block Party featured great food, giveaways, rides, entertainment by DJ Entice and DJ Greo, as well as performances by City of God, Ria, Remedy and many more. A Health Village at the Block Party included services and educational information from Blue Shield of Florida and South Florida Pediatric Home Care. Jungle Island, Blue Bell Ice Cream, and a T-Mobile Tech Village were also on display.

ZSG culminated on Sunday evening, July 12th when 15,124 fans gathered at the AmericanAirlines Arena to watch an impressive list of all-stars battle it out during the hottest basketball game of the year. Fans were able to catch Mourning on the court once more on the "Old School" team playing opposite Wade's "New School" team. The "Old School" team sporting white ZSG jerseys included: Alonzo Mourning (33), Udonis Haslem (40), Carlos Boozer (5), Raja Bell (19), Kenyon Martin (4), Quentin Richardson (23), Larry Hughes (0), Chris Wilcox (9), Rasual Butler (45), Tim Hardaway (10), Darius Miles (3). The "New School" team wearing blue ZSG jerseys included: Dwyane Wade (3), Daequan Cook (14), Dorell Wright (1), Carmelo Anthony (15), CJ Watson (23), Mario Chalmers (6), Michael Beasley (30), Roger Mason (8), Chris Paul (3), Caron Butler (3), Delonte West (13), and Patrick Beverley (1). Jam-packed with entertainment, the ZSG All-Star game featured fun contests, opportunities to win great prizes, interaction with top players in the league, and half-time performances by Salt-N-Pepa, Jr. James, Groove Girls, and the Golden Oldies. The "New School" team reigned as ZSG Champs scoring 155 points, beating out the talented "Old School" who scored 134 points.