The Emrald Gems Foundation, co-founded by Milwalkee Bucks Assistant General Manager Milton Newton, a native of Bordeaux, St. Thomas, and his wife, Shalaun, recently donated hundreds of basketballs to Virgin Islands' public schools, in partnership with the V.I. Department of Sports, Parks and Recreation, and Sen. Bobby Thomas's office.

Sports, Parks & Recreation Commissioner Calvert White said the idea of the territorywide donation resulted from a number of requests for donations of basketballs his office received from physical education teachers.

"I've known Mr. Newton for a number of years and so I picked up the phone and gave him a call," White said. "Initially when I called, my initial conversation was about whether the Milwalkee Bucks would be willing to donate basketballs to the territory. He called me back that same day and said, 'I think we're going to be able to do something, but we want to do it from the Emerald Gems Foundation'."

Thanks to the generous efforts of the Foundation, the territory's public school received a donation of five basketballs per school.

"We view this as an opportunity to give back and an opportunity to serve, which is what Emerald Gems is all about," Newton said at a ceremony at the St. Croix Educational Complex High School auditorium in January. "As a kid, when I was growing up, any [sport] I wanted to be involved with, I didn't have the means at home to have those tools that would allow me to partake in those activities. I had to wait until I come to school. So, when Commissioner White mentioned the need to get basketballs to our schools, it was right up our alley. We thought it was something that was very valuable."

Emerald Gems Foundation was founded in 2015 and hosts an annual basketball camp on St. Thomas for students. The organization's mission is to "enhance the lives of youth in the U.S. Virgin Islands by providing positive experiences and life-long learning opportunities utilizing basketball as a means."

 

St. Croix District

 

St. Thomas-St. John District