Kotak Law Donates $7,000 to advance awareness and advocacy for Mental Health
Kotak Personal Injury Law and the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) teamed up this past summer to support the Canadian Mental Health Association through an awareness and fundraising campaign during the CEBL Summer Series. As a result, this past Wednesday CEBL Executive Vice-President John Lashway was on-hand as Nainesh Kotak, principal of Kotak Personal Injury Law, presented his donation for $7,000 to Canadian Mental Health Association Ontario’s Director of Communication, Joe Kim.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to support the CMHA as they do such great work for those suffering through mental health issues,” said Kotak. “The pandemic has been so hard on so many, and the CMHA has a vital role in saving lives and supporting those going through hardships. It is a great honour to make this donation and acknowledge their great work.”
Kotak Personal Injury Law was an official partner of the 2020 CEBL Summer Series when it tipped off July 25 and became the first professional sports league in Canada to return to play since the mid-March outbreak of the COVID-19 virus shut down sports across the country. Games were broadcast live nationally on CBC, CBC Gem, and on cbcports.ca as part of a three-year partnership between CBC Sports and the CEBL. The Kotak Law – CEBL partnership was built upon a foundation of striving to make an impact in communities all across Canada.
“It is great for the CEBL to be partnered with Nainesh Kotak, Kotak Law, and the CMHA on this initiative, said Lashway on behalf of the CEBL. “The CEBL it is a core value of the league to be very people and community focused, so for us to be a part of this initiative is a huge honour. We look forward to a long-term relationship with both the CMHA and Mr. Kotak.”
All 26 games of the CEBL Summer Series were played without fans in attendance at the Meridian Centre, in St. Catharines, ON. That did not stop the league from continuing to add value to communities nationally. The Kotak Law partnership to support CMHA was one example. The CEBL also initiated community driven campaigns such as “Racism is Not #OurGame”, to further advance messages and actions upholding the values of inclusivity, accessibility, and multiculturalism while providing a public platform for its players to help end racism in Canada and beyond.
“We would like to thank Mr. Kotak and Kotak Law for this generous donation,” said Kim on behalf of the CMHA. “It is through donations like this that we’re able to support our 28 branches across Ontario and over 100 branches across the country. The generous donations from organizations allow us to support individuals as they live with their mental health and addiction issues and live a fulfilling life.”
The CEBL is currently preparing for its third season which is scheduled to start in May, 2021. CBC Sports will provide broadcast and streaming coverage of the 2021 season. The CEBL will be striving to expand upon its global carriage to deliver more games to Europe, Asia-Pacific, Asia, and the Americas.
A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 80% of its current rosters being Canadian. CEBL players bring basketball experience from the NBA, the NBA G-League, top FIBA international leagues, the Canadian national team program, in addition to top NCAA and U SPORTS schools. The only First Division Professional League partner of Canada Basketball, the CEBL season typically runs from May through August. More information is available at www.cebl.ca