Celebrity heartthrobs play for a cause

MANILA, Philippines — On November 16, the Mall Of Asia Arena in Pasay will witness entertainment and sports heartthrobs duke it out in a basketball game organized for charity, the “Hoops for Hope”.

The line up of players will be headlined by actor, dubbed “Teen King”, Daniel Padilla, and University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) competition players Kiefer Ravena (of the Ateneo de Manila University) and Jeron Teng (of the De La Salle University).

Joining them in the game are actors Marco Gumabao, John Lucas, John Manalo, Diego Loyzaga, Neil Coleta, Patrick Sugui, Young JV, Dominic Roque, and Gerard Acao; and college court heroes Thirdy Ravena (ADMU), Arnold Van Opstal (DLSU), Chris Javier (University of the East), and Matthew Aquino (Adamson University).

A week before

Asked what made them decide to participate in the charity event, Kiefer said saying yes to “Hoops for Hope” was not a difficult task as nothing beats the joy of being able to play your favorite sport and helping organizations like the World Vision Philippines and Child Haus Foundation at the same time.

But whether this game between well-trained collegiate basketball players and celebrity participants is a challenge for the latter, Padilla said he and the other Kapamilya talents are both shy and thankful for the opportunity to share the court with the UAAP players.

But above all else, what’s most important for these young heartthrobs is the fact that “Hoops for Hope” will allow them to “give back to the community.”

In fact, when asked how do they exert effort in reaching out to kids in need on a more personal level, Neil Coleta, Thirdy Ravena, and Gerard Acao shared that they all participate in other outreach programs besides “Hoops for Hope.”

But for the current task at hand, the boys of the 2014 “Hoops for Hope” charity game are inviting fans to come and see the game for the benefit of World Vision Philippines and Child Haus Foundation.

The “Hoops for Hope” teams will be coached by JV Gayoso and Vince Hizon.

Tickets to the game are available at SM Tickets outlets in all SM Cinemas nationwide. For more information, follow Biogesic Fastfizz Hoops for Hope on Facebook.