Former Blazer Chris Dudley Gives Back With Oregon Basketball Camp

FormerPortland Trail Blazers克里斯·达德利（Chris Dudley）的比赛过去了很长时间，克里斯·达德利（Chris Dudley）继续帮助俄勒冈州社区。In a recent piece from Kerry Eggers，俄勒冈州体育作家阐明了达德利的慈善事业和他的年度篮球训练营，其中1型糖尿病将于7月31日至8月5日在俄勒冈州的弗诺尼亚举行。

A 6-foot-11 center known for rebounding and defense during his NBA career from 1987 to 2003, Dudley is one of only two men to ever play in the NBA with diabetes. Starting in 1996, he’s been running the Chris Dudley Basketball Camp in Oregon for 27 consecutive years. The weeklong, overnight camp is the only of its kind for kids with type 1 diabetes.

埃格斯（Eggers）写道，达德利（Dudley）是1993年至1997年为波特兰（Portland）效力的，从2001年到2003年，他开始了营地，因为围绕糖尿病进行体育运动缺乏教育。

Through the early part of his playing career, Dudley often received letters and other correspondence from kids with diabetes and their parents. With questions like, “How do you play basketball with type 1?” And, “What do you do on game day?” And, “What kind of insulin do you use?”

“I began to realize there was a strong need for a camp like ours,” Dudley say. “As we started, the diabetes component was huge, the basketball component was huge. But we soon realized another component was the development of a sense of community — a chance for kids with diabetes to know other kids are dealing with the same issues as they are. It can be difficult to have something different like diabetes. It is linked to a higher rate of depression.”

由于19日期的大流行，在过去的两年中，该营地通过Zoom举行后，露营者今年将再次现场。该营地（对于10至17岁的男孩和女孩来说）是一种昂贵的全尺寸生产。埃格斯（Eggers）与75名露营者一起说，将有42名员工驻扎在营地，其中包括15名辅导员，多名医生和护士，一个营养师和其他职位。Vernonia的设施有五个篮球场，过去几年展示了前西装外套Brian Grant等特别嘉宾。

For 27 years, Dudley, has given the operation his full attention.

Dudley is not just a namesake for the camp.

“Chris is the biggest ‘kid’ out there,” says Joey Wakem, executive director of the Chris Dudley Foundation. “Camp is the highlight of his year. In many other camps run by current or retired players, the headliner is usually there a few times throughout the week for a limited time. Chris is there all week.

“他在一夜之间停留，与露营者一起吃饭，在自由时间与他们一起闲逛，并真正了解他们。多年来，当我与他谈论露营者时，我总是感到惊讶。他确切地知道我在说谁。这不仅是他的“营地”。这是家庭。”

In the piece, Eggers wrote highly of Dudley’s character and other charity works.

Dudley, 57, wasn’t just a professional athlete. He is an Ivy Leaguer, a graduate of Yale. In 1994, he created the Chris Dudley Foundation, intended to improve the lives of diabetic children. In 1996, he donated $300,000 through the “I Have a Dream Foundation” to help cover college tuition for a class of fourth-graders at Portland’s Vernon Elementary School. That same year, Dudley won the NBA’s J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, given for outstanding service and dedication to the community. As a member of the Professional Basketball Writers Association, I’m proud to say I was the one who nominated “Duds” for the honor.

Following his NBA career, Dudley has worked as a wealth management partner at Filigree Advisors since 2008. In 2010, he ran for governor of Oregon as a Republican, but lost the election.

His family still owns a home in Sisters, Oregon.