NBA And Southwest Airlines Recognize Oregon Family Through Shoot for Hope Program; Rupe Family of Ontario, Oregon to Receive a Special NBA Experience.

NEW YORK -- The National Basketball Association and Southwest Airlines will recognize the Rupe family, of Ontario, Oregon, tomorrow for their display of strength and courage during their stay at the Ronald McDonald House. For the second straight year the NBA and Southwest Airlines have teamed up through the Shoot for Hope program to give families who have stayed at Ronald McDonald Houses the opportunity to experience NBA games and meet their favorite players. Shoot For Hope is a part of NBA Cares, the league's global community outreach initiative.

The Rupes are the 10th family to benefit from Shoot For Hope and will travel to Seattle via Southwest Airlines to watch All-Stars Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis of the Seattle Sonics take on fellow All-Star Dirk Nowitzki as the Sonics host the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, Jan. 26, in a game televised on TNT (10:30 pm ET). This Shoot For Hope experience will be the family's first time attending an NBA game.

Ann Rupe and her family first stayed at the Ronald McDonald House in Boise, Idaho, when their 12-year-old son Dallas "Guy" Rupe was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) in November 2005. The condition mainly appears in children under 10, but since Guy is older, he is undergoing a longer-than-usual treatment regimen which includes chemotherapy, radiation and transfusions. He is also receiving bone marrow biopsies each week during his first three months of treatment. Guy has not been able to interact with his friends and family the way he did prior to his illness, but is dedicated to fighting this disease and is determined to return back to his Judo training.

"Guy has a tremendous heart and is always thinking of others," said his mother. "Guy would never wish for a different life, instead he understands the cards he has been dealt and is up for the challenge." Two years ago the Rupe family experienced a tremendous loss in the family, when Guy's father passed away.

This season, the NBA and Southwest Airlines will provide a minimum of 10 families with a Shoot For Hope experience. Each family will be flown to an NBA city on Southwest Airlines for a game and a chance for the child's family to interact with some of today's top NBA players. They will also receive a variety of gifts including an autographed Shoot For Hope basketball and NBA jerseys.

"Through NBA Cares and the Shoot for Hope program we are proud to share with Southwest Airlines a commitment of giving back to our fans and enriching their lives," said Mark Tatum, NBA Senior Vice President, Marketing Partnerships. "The Rupe family is a courageous family that deserves this special journey built upon hope and support."

"Southwest Airlines Employees are touched by the amazing accomplishments that take place at Ronald McDonald Houses throughout the nation," said Tena Griffith, Manager Sports Marketing for Southwest Airlines. "We are delighted to partner with the NBA to treat these deserving families to an enjoyable evening at an NBA game."

Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV), the nation's largest carrier in terms of domestic passengers enplaned, currently serves 62 cities in 32 states. Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,000 flights a day and has 31,000+ Employees systemwide.

NBA Cares is the league's global community outreach initiative that builds on the NBA's long tradition of addressing important social issues. Over the next five years, the league, players and teams will raise and contribute $100 million for charity, donate more than 1 million hours of hands-on volunteer service to communities around the world, and build more than 100 places where kids can learn and play. NBA Cares will work with internationally-recognized youth-serving programs that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes including: UNICEF; Reading Is Fundamental; Boys and Girls Clubs of America; Charities Aid Foundation; American/International Red Cross; Feed the Children, and many others.