MyPhillyLawyer Helps Youth Basketball Team

MyPhillyLawyer.com Helps Wilmington Youth Basketball Team When Uniforms are Stolen

PHILADELPHIA – July 22, 2009 – After their treasured big-time basketball uniforms were stolen late last week, the 6- to 10-year-old members of the Delaware Royalty youth basketball team will soon be back on the court in style after Philadelphia law firm, MyPhillyLawyer, donated money to replace the hijacked gear.

The theft was particularly hard on the team because all of the 30 boys and one girl on the squad had earned the uniforms earlier this summer through their own hard work by raising money through fundraisers in their Wilmington neighborhoods.

After hearing of the team’s plight on an Action News ABC-6 news broadcast last Friday night, Attorney Dean Weitzman, the managing partner of MyPhillyLawyer, contacted the team’s president, Robert Turner, to make arrangements to provide the money to replace the stolen uniforms.

“I was elated,” said Turner, who is also the co-coach of the team with DaKevis Matthews. “It’s awesome that there are people who care. I was happy. I can’t really put it into words. I told the kids that we have somebody who donated money for new uniforms.”

Though there are 31 children on the team, they have to share 13 uniforms because they didn’t have money to equip each child, Turner said. The beloved, fancy, purple and yellow jerseys and shorts were kept by Turner between games in an oversized black nylon equipment bag, along with several basketballs and related gear.

That bag was left in the trunk of his car on his Wilmington street early last Thursday morning when the car was broken into, he said. The thief stole the bag of uniforms and several other items from the car.

The next day, after filing a police report about the theft, Turner reported the incident to The News Journal newspaper in Wilmington, which published a story about the theft.

The children played a tournament in Wilmington over the weekend, but had to wear uniforms borrowed from another team. The Delaware Royalty began as a team in April and played in their first tournament, organized through the Amateur Athletic Union, in May, according to Turner.

“They’re pretty much the most experienced kids in that age group playing basketball in our area,” he said. “Our goal is to form the best team that we can possibly formulate and compete against other teams from other states and other cities.”

Despite the theft of their uniforms last week, the team won all three of its tournament games on Saturday, then won their championship game on Sunday, Turner said.

Additional donations were also raised at the tournament once people heard of the team’s plight, he said. That means that the Delaware Royalty will now be able to purchase enough uniforms for each of their 31 players, he said.

“It’s great to be able to help the kids and the Delaware Royalty after their gear was stolen by a thief,” lawyer Weitzman said. “We wish the young players continued success and we hope they continue their winning ways on the basketball court. We’re glad we could do something to give them a hand.”

For more information or interviews, call attorney Dean Weitzman at MyPhillyLawyer.com, 215-227-2727.