Why We Play: ESPN analyst raising $1 million for Special Olympics with 24-hour free-throw shooting marathon
By Ian Levy
Sometimes all it takes to make a positive change in the world is passion and persistence. Take the case of Debbie Antonelli, basketball broadcast analyst for CBS Sports and ESPN. She played basketball in college, has made it the center of her professional life and clearly loves the game. She's also used it as a way to raise nearly $1,000,000 for Special Olympics South Carolina, inspired by her son, Frankie a Special Olympic athlete.
This weekend, for the sixth year in a row, Debbie will hold a one-woman, 24-hour free-throw shooting marathon in her own driveway as a fundraiser for Special Olympics. Every hour, for 24 hours straight, she challenges herself to make 100 free throws, live-streaming the whole thing and encouraging financial pledges and donations.
This year's marathon will begin at noon ET on Saturday, May 18 and run through noon on Sunday. Over the past five years, her efforts have raised a total of $892,151. If donations come in at a steady pace this year, she is expected to pass $1,000,000 in total donations around 3:00 a.m. on Sunday morning.
Debbie is also the lead play-by-play analyst for the Indiana Fever and recently spoke with phenom Caitlin Clark about her upcoming season in support of the campaign.
If you're interested in supporting Debbie's fundraising efforts, you can donate at the official Nothing But Net campaign page. You can also follow along on her YouTube channel as she looks to make 2,400 free throws in 24 hours. As in year' past, she'll be joined by a slew of guests, fans and supporters as she completes this remarkable challenge. Tune in and help cheer her on.
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