Dan Occhiogrosso

Dan Occhiogrosso is a coach, teacher, and compassionate person. Coach Occh, as he is known, has taken his love for basketball and turned it into something good for others. His organization “Ball for Lives” focuses on helping children in need, mainly in Africa. He finished the New York City Marathon under five hours while dribbling a basketball, attempting to raise awareness and obtain donations for AIDS victims in Africa. He uses his dribbling to attract attention to his cause and in return receives more donations. Occhiogrosso attends schools around the area and hosts events where kids, as well as adults, can learn to dribble. The events and instructional dribbling videos (available on his website) encourage people to donate money for the organization, where all the proceeds are distributed to oprhanages and foundations that help combat malaria, or AIDS victims in Africa. He is also able to help the community on a local level. In Northern New Jersey, his motivational assemblies provide children with an activity Saturday afternoon, keeping them out of the streets. One day he wishes to travel to Africa and give the gift of basketball to an orphan.

Coach Occh is currently concentrating on expanding the reach of his organization. This year he will not participate in the NYC Marathon, but has a collegue representing the organization.

For more information go to www.BallforLives.com