Local basketball legend Wilkens to headline 2016 Invest in Youth Breakfast

Growing up in Brooklyn, N.Y., Lenny Wilkens felt looked down upon when his struggling single mother took him and his siblings to free health care clinics.

Growing up in Brooklyn, N.Y., Lenny Wilkens felt looked down upon when his struggling single mother took him and his siblings to free health care clinics.

“I never forgot that,” Wilkens told Forbes magazine in February 2015.

On March 24, the basketball legend will address nearly 1,000 community leaders and youth advocates at Youth Eastside Services’ (YES) annual Invest in Youth Breakfast. The event will be held from 7:30-8:45 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue.

Wilkens, who rose to local fame as a player and coach for the Seattle SuperSonics, has been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame three times. Off the court, he’s made accessible, quality health care for children and families his top priority: The Lenny Wilkens Foundation has raised more than $8 million for the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic, a community clinic of Seattle Children’s Hospital, as well as other services and programs in the Northwest.

Brad and Danielle Tilden will serve as community co-chairs for the event. Brad is the chairman and chief executive officer of Alaska Air Group and its two subsidiaries, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air. Danielle is the owner of Capitol Hill’s Station 7 boutique; her career working in youth-serving organizations spans over 25 years. Local news veteran Steve Raible will emcee.

Every year, youth who have been helped by YES speak at the event. Last year’s breakfast inspired donors to contribute more than $700,000 to help Eastside families overcome trauma, depression, substance abuse and other emotional struggles — as well as fund education and prevention services.

For more information on attending, sponsoring or volunteering at the Breakfast, call (425) 586-2326 or visit http://bit.ly/2016breakfast.