FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 31, 2014
Contact:   Craig Fata, Vice President
(844) THE-MPBA / craig.fata@theMPBA.com

ST. LOUIS – Today’s date on the calendar, December 31, marks the end of the old year.  For that reason, the Midwest Professional Basketball Association is symbolically choosing today to lend its voice to the effort to put an end to domestic violence.

                    Today, the MPBA is proud to announce the formation of a partnership with the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence (CAEPV) to educate its players, staff and fans about saying “NO MORE” to domestic/partner violence and sexual assault.

                    As the only national organization of its kind, CAEPV is a leading force in the fight against domestic violence, founded by business leaders and focused on the workplace. Since 1995, the Alliance has brought together dozens of companies to exchange information, collaborate on projects, and use their influence to instigate change.  The organization currently works with Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, and was recently asked to consult for the National Football League as it sought to develop a new workplace response to domestic violence and sexual assault.

                    “The MPBA firmly believes in developing players on the court, and developing good citizens off the court and in the workplace,” said Craig Fata, Vice President of the MPBA.  “This partnership is about education, outreach and prevention, not reacting after the fact.  We strongly believe in the mission of CAEPV, and we will incorporate their messages and programs into our own mission,” he said.

                    “We are excited to work with the MPBA as they commit themselves to saying NO MORE to domestic violence. It is our hope that the MPBA will serve as a model in addressing domestic violence as a workplace, as a sports organization, and as an organization committed to the communities it serves across the Midwest,” said Kim Wells, Executive Director of the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence.

                    The MPBA and CAEPV also plan expand the reach of the anti-partner violence/sexual assault message from the workplace to youth-oriented community facilities. 

                    “Our teams typically practice in community centers where kids hang out,” Fata said.  “And if they see in person and interact with the players telling them ‘NO MORE’ on posters and in videos, that can be extremely impactful,” he said.

                    Aside from implementing a training/education component, one of the first goals of the partnership will be to develop an official 'no-tolerance' policy toward domestic/partner violence and sexual assault for the league.

                    “This effort can set a standard for organizations that are newer or smaller in scope,” Wells said.  “The MPBA is saying, ‘we can do this, even though we’re not as big as the NFL or MLB or NBA.’  You don’t have to be a ‘big fish’ to have a big impact, and that’s a great example for others to follow,” she said.      

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The mission of the MPBA is to attract the top minor league basketball players, coaches, owners and staff members from across the United States, and to provide that talent with the opportunity to develop their skills in a professional environment; the MPBA will also provide its fans and supporters with a fun, value-based entertainment experience, as well as incorporate community outreach programs into its members’ operations.