Cleveland, OH
Refugees get to experience snowboarding and skiing in Ohio
CLEVELAND — If you’re from northeast Ohio, you’re probably used to the winter weather and snow. But some refugees who moved here from other parts of the world experienced it for the first time, and learned to enjoy it, thanks to a partnership with Alpine Valley Resort.
Mayada Zakaria is from Sudan and came to Cleveland almost 10 years ago to escape political unrest in her country.
“Technically, our dad brought us here. He’s been in America for like 13 years and thought this was a life he wanted for his family, so he brought us here,” she said.
Zakaria said she never experienced snow in her birth country, but she’s learning to enjoy it here, hitting the slopes for only the second time in her life.
“These are just my clothes that I changed right now. So we got gloves,” she said.
Corner 65, part of Resource Cleveland, helped bring around 20 kids to Alpine Valley Resort and taught them to snowboard. Becky Trout Ashenfelter, director at Resource Cleveland, said this was essential for their wellbeing.
“Keeping kids active and engaged after school makes a big difference for their mental health and also teaches them different valuable skills they can take on later in life,” she said.
Ashenfelter said experiences like this help kids who’ve never seen snow before acclimate to their new homes.
“That’s the whole point of our program is to welcome people into Cleveland, build community and build up their confidence. To me, that is what community is all about and I’m happy to be a small part of it,” she said.
Zakaria said she’s not just learning to snowboard, she’s learning life lessons
“It teaches you patience, confidence, and to be brave in what you do. If you make a mistake, you’ll crash into the woods or worse,” she said.
Cleveland, OH
Cavaliers’ Jarrett Allen Receives All-Defensive Team Votes For Stellar Season
In a season where just three Cleveland Cavaliers played 70+ games, Jarrett Allen stepped up in a big way, especially with his presence on the defensive end of the floor.
The NBA All-Defensive Team is reserved for the most consistently effective defenders in the league. And with the recent switch to positionless voting, it makes being voted as a member of this group that much more exclusive.
On Monday, NBA Communications announced that Allen received 20 total points in the 2023-24 All-Defensive Team voting process. The 2022 NBA All-Star garnered one first-place vote (worth two points) and another 18 votes for second place (worth one point apiece).
However, these 20 points were not enough for Allen to make any of the 2023-24 NBA All-Defensive Teams. Four centers made the First Team in Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves), Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs), Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat), and Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers).
Overall, the Cleveland big man finished 14th in voting, behind Luguentz Dort (34 points) and Chet Holmgren (21 points) of the Oklahoma City Thunder, as well as Kawhi Leonard (29 points) of the Los Angeles Clippers on the NBA’s de facto Honorable Mention list.
Just some of Allen’s defensive presence could be felt in the Cavaliers’ first two playoff games against the Orlando Magic before he eventually suffered a rib injury that made him miss the remainder of the team’s playoff run. The big man played a significant role in this span, recording a combined 26 defensive rebounds, four steals, and three blocks.
Allen averaged 1.1 blocks and 0.7 steals per game during the regular season, reaching these marks for the third consecutive campaign.
Cleveland, OH
Stunning Cavs Front Office Changes Coming During Pivotal Offseason
The Cleveland Cavaliers are entering the offseason with a lot of questions to be answered. Despite going 48-34 and notching the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, they were sent packing by the Boston Celtics in five games in the semifinals.
There have been questions surrounding the future of J.B. Bickerstaff, Donovan Mitchell, and Darius Garland in Cleveland.
With all these things looming over the organization, the Cavs decided to make a shocking change ahead of this offseason.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert is going to be ‘significantly’ more included in the basketball operations starting this offseason.
The Cavs have Koby Altman as the President of Basketball Operations and Mike Gansey as the general manager. Nonetheless, it looks like those two men will have to include Gilbert in conversations regarding the future of the club.
Jarret Allen’s name has already been involved in trade discussions with Mitchell’s potential massive extension hanging in the balance.
Windhorst appeared on ‘The Hoop Collective’ and said, “I would think the Cavs are going to be spending more time in this next month looking at possible Jarrett Allen trades and what that can bring.”
Allen has two years and $40 million left on his current deal and the Cavs could be looking to move that.
As for Garland, it has been reported that his management Klutch Sports will meet with Cleveland this offseason to orchestrate a trade if Mitchell decides to stay in Cleveland long-term.
With all these big changes on the horizon, the 62-year-old owner will have a say in what transpires.
More Cavaliers news and rumors:
Cleveland, OH
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