President's Report 2008

professional basketball player, minnesota timberwolves chairman and ceo, the randy foye foundation

In the fall of 2004, Randy Foye was eating dinner with his Villanova basketball teammates when he got a terrible phone call: His younger brother, Christopher, had just been shot in their hometown of Newark, New Jersey.

He raced to his brother’s bedside. “When I got there, he spoke to me and was conscious,” he remembered. “Even though I knew he would recover, I was still pretty shaken up. The next morning, Coach Jay Wright called and told me, ‘take all the time you need.’”

At Villanova, he found a mentor in Coach Wright. Months after his brother’s shooting, Foye helped lead the Wildcats to the “Sweet Sixteen” round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament, where they lost by a single point.

Afterward, Wright told his players to give their opponents the credit they deserved. “He taught us to handle disappointment in a professional way and move on,” Foye recalled. It is a lesson that has stuck with him.

In 2006, during his senior year, Villanova reached the NCAA “Elite Eight,” and after graduating Foye was a first-round NBA draft pick. Visiting Newark that summer, he noticed many kids playing basketball in shoes that were falling apart. Moved by the correlation between his own struggles and those of the children, Foye bought them new shoes.

Today, Foye, who plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves, keeps both families close to his heart. His Randy Foye Foundation seeks to improve the quality of life for Newark children by raising money to fund projects throughout the city, including rebuilding the community park where he once played basketball. “There were crack valves, needles and glass all around. I want kids to be able to play there and not feel threatened.”

Foye also is spearheading “Assist 4 Life,” a middle school mentoring program, which he funds based on the number of assists he has each basketball season.

Foye discovered his desire to help others at Villanova. “The basketball team used to give out the medals to the Special Olympics athletes, and I saw the happiness on their faces. It was a wonderful feeling and made me want to continue to give back.”

Foye wants to give Newark children the chance to succeed. “People in the Villanova and Newark communities supported me and my dreams. I want to do the same for these kids. I know how far hard work will bring you if you just keep your mind on the right things. Trust me—anything is possible.”