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WNBA star Catchings knows the gift of giving

It takes time for most kids to grasp the concept of sharing.

So it's no surprise that Tamika Catchings and her two siblings had the averse reaction they did when their parents told them about their new plan for Christmas presents.

Instead of spending all of the money they had allotted for Christmas on their children, Harvey and Wanda Catchings were going to spend part of it on gifts for children who weren't quite as fortunate.

“We were all still pretty young and when they first told us about this plan, we were like, ‘Ohhhhhhh, man,'” said Catchings, whose father Harvey spent 11 years in the NBA. “We didn't like it at all. We wanted the presents to go to us.”

Now, Catchings sings a far different tune during the holidays … and all year long.

She says the feeling she gets when she shares her time or her good fortune with those in need is the best gift she's ever received.

A star for the WNBA's Indiana Fever and a former resident of the Northern suburbs who led Stevenson to back-to-back IHSA Class AA girls basketball state titles in 1995 and 1996, Catchings has become a quite the enthusiastic philanthropist.

So enthusiastic, in fact, that she's currently up for some major international awards.

She says she has the lessons she learned from her parents to thank for it.

“We didn't like the whole thing about getting fewer presents when we were younger, but then, when you were actually able to see the effect you had on someone else, it was pretty amazing. It made you feel good,” Catchings said. “With my dad playing in the NBA all those years, he was always involved in things with the community. We'd pass out turkeys at Thanksgiving. Things like that.

“From a young age, we were always taught that ‘To whom much is given, much is asked.'”

So when Catchings was thinking about how she could build off her parents' example, she thought big.

In 2004, she started her own nonprofit organization in Indianapolis, the Catch the Stars Foundation. It provides both academic and athletic programs for underprivileged girls and boys ages 9 through 16.

Along the way, Catch the Stars has grown to include fitness camps, food and clothing drives, reading programs, counseling and peer mentoring. The organization has served thousands of children and has won many local awards for appreciation.

Now, Catch the Stars is catching the attention of some pretty high rollers.

Catchings is a nominee for two of the most prestigious awards in the world of philanthropy: the United Nations Peace Award and the Jefferson Award for Public Service.

The Jefferson Award honors athletes who show extraordinary commitment to community service. Of the 10 finalists for the award, Catchings is the only female. Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints, Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics and CC Sabathia of the New York Yankees are among the others.

“It makes you feel good to be nominated for awards like that,” Catchings said. “But if you're really doing something like this for the right reasons, you're never doing it for the recognition.

“It's a lot of work. And you've got to have a passion about making a difference.”

Catchings, who is hoping to find enough sponsors and benefactors to help her take her foundation to other major U.S. cities and then from coast to coast, has helped changed many lives. She says she is constantly touched by all of the success stories from her foundation.

Many of the alums from her programs ask to return when they are older and serve as helpers and volunteers. Others write her letters of appreciation or stay in touch with updates about their lives.

“We did a banquet at the end of one of our camps and we had four or five of the kids there want to speak about the impact that Catch the Stars has made on their lives,” Catchings said. “I didn't even realize how much we've meant to some of these kids, and how much they needed something like this. You love to hear that.

“And that's why we don't want to stop. We want to keep going with this and grow it bigger and bigger. Because there are so many more kids out there we can reach.”

pbabcock@dailyherald.com