WELL, IN 2004 I HAD SEEN

A VIDEO TALKING ABOUT A GIRL

WHO LOST HER PARENTS DUE TO

AIDS, AND I LEARNED THERE

ARE 15 MILLION KIDS JUST

LIKE HER.

I WAS VERY MUCH SO MOVED TO

ACTION JUST BECAUSE I

REALIZED WE DO HAVE A LOT

MORE HERE.

YOU DON'T REALLY REALIZE

THAT UNTIL YOU LOOK AROUND

AND YOU SEE THERE ARE PEOPLE

WHO ARE A LOT LESS FORTUNATE

THAN US.

AS A 9-YEAR-OLD, I DIDN'T

KNOW WHAT I COULD DO TO MAKE

A DIFFERENCE.

AND WE KIND OF LOOKED

AROUND, AND THERE IS NOTHING

FOR KIDS TO DO.

SO I WAS JUST ENCOURAGED TO

START SOMETHING OF MY OWN

AND TO USE MY FAVOURITE

SPORT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

THAT'S HOW "HOOPS FOR HOPE"

CAME INTO PLAY.

I DECIDED TO SHOOT BASKETS

TO RAISE MONEY.

KIND OF LIKE A WALK-A-THON.

KIDS AND PARENTS WILL GO OUT

AND GET MONEY.

THAT VERY FIRST EVENT, IT

WAS JUST ME SHOOTING HOOPS.

I FOUND OUT EVERY 14

SECONDS, ANOTHER ONE OF

THESE CHILDREN IS ORPHANED

BECAUSE OF H.I.V. AND AIDS.

I LEARNED THAT 2,057 KIDS

ARE ACTUALLY ORPHANED DURING

MY SCHOOL DAY.

THAT'S HOW MUCH SHOTS I

DECIDED TO SHOOT THAT DAY,

2,057.

I HOPED TO RAISE THAT MUCH

MONEY, AS WELL.

AND IT TURNS OUT I RAISED

ABOUT $3,000 THAT FIRST

YEAR.

AFTER I HAD DONE THAT FIRST

EVENT, I REALIZED A LOT OF

OTHER KIDS WOULD WANT TO

PARTICIPATE.

PRETTY SOON THE IDEA CAUGHT

ON.

IN THE SIX YEARS THAT "HOOPS

FOR HOPE" HAS BEEN GOING ON,

WE'VE HAD ABOUT 40,000

PEOPLE SHOOT FREE-THROWS

WITH US IN 40 DIFFERENT

COUNTRIES AND WE'VE BEEN

ABLE TO RAISE ABOUT

$2 MILLION.

TO PROVIDE SCHOOLS, A WHOLE

WATER PROJECT IN KENYA,

BASICALLY JUST TO HELP EASE

THE LIFE FOR THESE KIDS.

OUR WHOLE PURPOSE IS TO HELP

THOSE KIDS ORPHANED BY

AIDS.

THERE ARE CHILDREN WIR

WITH THEIR PARENTS TODAY AND

PEOPLE THAT ARE ALIVE TODAY,

AND CHILDREN WHO HAVE A HOPE

FOR A FUTURE TODAY BECAUSE

OF AUSTIN AND "HOOPS OF

HOPE," AND ALL OF THE

THOUSANDS OF KIDS WHO HAVE

STEPPED UP TO THE-FREE-THROW

LINE AND GIVEN IT THEIR BEST

SHOT.

I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW ONE

PERSON CAN CHANGE THE LIVES

OF MANY, MANY PEOPLE IN THIS

COUNTRY.

A BIG THANK YOU FOR

"HOOPS FOR HOPE" FOR SERVING

THE PEOPLE OF MATSANIA.

FOR SAVING LIVES FOR THE

MAJORITY IN THIS AREA.

I ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE THAT

KIDS HAVE THE POWER TO

CHANGE THE WORLD.

NOT ONLY THAT, I BELIEVE

THEY HAVE THE POWER TO DO IT

NOW.

THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO WAIT

TO BE A CERTAIN AGE TO MAKE

A DIFFERENCE, THAT THEY CAN

DO SOMETHING NOW.