A FILIPINO was hailed the most recent awardee of the “Hero Among Us” initiative by the Boston Celtics and the Massachusetts State Lottery.
Quincy-based Harold Mortel received a trophy during the Celtics’ home game against the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night, Philippine time, at the TD Garden.
Mortel has a months-long fundraiser for his pandemic-stricken hometown back in the Philippines.
“Today’s #HeroAmongUs used his love of sports to help those in need,” the Celtics organization wrote in a tweet. “[He] realized that COVID-19 had hit his home country of the Philippines hard and organized a series of basketball tournaments to raise vital funds for the community.”
Awardee organized basketball, table tennis tournaments
Apart from basketball tournaments, Mortel also conducted table tennis competitions donating all the funds accumulated to help feed more than 500 families, according to a previous report by Boston25News.
The Hero Among Us program is a premier community outreach initiative by the NBA team that began in 1997. It honors individuals who made impact to the greater society out of humanitarian spirit. It is done every home game.