Hank Baskett says he’s “not looking in the rear-view mirror” when it comes to his former NFL career. The reality TV star is now focussing on important projects such as partnering with the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation to tackle this No. 1 cancer killer. With his father, Hank Baskett II, undergoing treatments for lung cancer, Hank III says teaming up with the foundation has been “one of the greatest decisions” he’s ever made. The former athlete opens up to Celebrity Baby Scoop about his father’s battle with cancer and his “extremely positive” outlook that has kept them going. He also talks about his beautiful 2-year-old son “Little Hank,” a full-on “mama’s boy” who “gets mad” if he goes in to hug or kiss his wife Kendra Wilkinson. The doting daddy goes on to talk about the possibility of baby No. 2 and how motherhood has caused him to ”fall more and more in love” with his gorgeous wife. CBS: Tell us about teaming up with the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation. Tell us all about the fundraiser. HB: “Teaming up with Bonnie and her foundation has been one of the greatest decisions of my life. I am very fortunate that they reached out to me and invited me to their gala a year ago. This was the foundation to a relationship that will continue to grow for many years to come. It has already impacted my family’s life in such a way that cannot be described in words. Another great attribute of the foundation is that they are dedicated to proving the misconception that all lung cancer victims smoke. That is why there is not enough awareness because the first question asked to a lung cancer patient is, ‘Do/did you smoke?’ This year I created the Hank Baskett Classic golf event which was held at Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. I partnered with the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation because I truly felt that they are a foundation that is 100% dedicated to finding a cure and helping all those that they can along the way. What else I love about their foundation is the fact that they understand that to change the lives of millions, you must first change the life of one! And that they have done numerous times.” CBS: Why did you get involved with this cause? Have you ever smoked? Are you against people smoking? What would you do if Little Hank smokes one day? HB: “I became involved with the fight against lung cancer because in April of 2011 my family found out that my father, Henry ‘Hank’ Baskett II, had be diagnosed with lung cancer. This came as an unbelievable sucker punch to us all. Although it was the worst news my father had ever heard, he still remained his extremely positive self. And that right there was what got my family through the beginning stages. The battle against cancer starts with your attitude and my father has the greatest one of all. He told us day in and day out that he would not let cancer beat him and that his only wish was to see Little Hank, my son, at least once a month. So he decided to receive his treatments out here in Los Angeles. I have never smoked cigarettes. I guess the fact that I grew up with severe asthma gave me a good excuse not to. I can’t say that I’m against people smoking because this is America and we all have our freedoms and rights. As with everything, if you’re respectful of those around you there’s a way to make almost everything coexist. It’s all about respect. At the end of the day we make our own decisions, yet with smoking your decisions do not only affect you. A majority of the time it’s not the ones smoking that are affected, but more so those that are standing nearby. If I found out Little Hank ever smoked we would have a very long conversation. If it’s while he’s an adult all we can do is talk to him and let him know the consequences of smoking. If he tries before he’s 18 there’s definitely some consequences that will occur that he probably won’t like!” CBS: How’s Little Hank doing? What is he into these days? What does he do to make you laugh? HB: “Little Hank is doing amazing! He is currently going to school everyday and the strides he’s making in life are incredible. His vocabulary grows by the day and so do his social skills. There are so many things he does to make us as parents laugh, yet to others we get that funny look as we try to explain it. The thing that makes me laugh the most though is that now he is so protective of Kendra, that he won’t even let me give her a hug or kiss! Only he can do that to his mama! He gets mad if I get to close to her. Its frikkin’ hilarious!” CBS: How has fatherhood changed you? Are you hoping to have another baby soon? Would you like to have a girl the second time around? HB: “Fatherhood has given me an entire new sense of why I was put on Earth. When I married Kendra, I knew that I was dedicating my life to her and her happiness. But when you have a child you truly understand what it means to put yourself last. Whatever it takes, I’m going to make it happen for Little Hank to never have to go without, yet understand the importance of earning his way. Too many kids now are not taught that you must earn things in life and that it doesn’t always just come easy. The sense of entitlement is handed out relatively too often. The thought of another baby crosses our mind often. We just want to make sure that the timing is right for our lives. We are both making major career moves and we want to ensure that a new addition to the family would receive the rightful amount of attention, support, and most importantly love that the baby would deserve. I think it will be sooner than later, but who is decided when sooner begins?! Girl or boy, we would just pray for healthy. Yet as a father, a little girl will make me lose the remaining hair I have left, especially if she looks like Little Hank!” CBS: In your eyes, what kind of mother is Kendra? Have you fallen even more in love with her since she became a mother? HB: “Kendra is an amazing mother and I knew she would be. That is why I decided to ask her to marry me, because I knew all she truly wanted in life was a family and to be a mother is something she always wanted. She is very hands on and has been instrumental in Little Hank’s early developments. Watching her grow as a mother has no doubt caused me to fall more and more in love with her. There’s nothing like watching the woman you love spend time with your child. She gets mad at me when I sit back and just stare at them. A mother’s love cannot be compared to anything. No matter how much I may love Little Hank, there’s just a uniqueness between Kendra and Little Hank. This is coming from a mama’ boy himself!” CBS: What can we expect in the upcoming season of Kendra on Top? Will there be lots of footage with you and Little Hank? HB: “This season of Kendra on Top has been a lot of fun. We are on a new network, WEtv, and the show has grown to new measures. You’re getting to follow Kendra in her new ventures as a successful businesswoman. You get to see me and my arc of moving on from a professional football player to businessman, which hasn’t been the easiest thing at times. And most of all you get to see Little Hank’s newest milestones. He is his own character and pesonality now and that’s what fans have fallen in love with. He is a little star.” CBS: What’s up next for you? What are your hopes and plans for football in the future? HB: “I have moved on from the NFL and it has been a great transition – I’m not looking in the rear-view mirror. I fully enjoyed my time playing in the NFL but there comes a day that it comes to an end. And I’m not one of the players that is going to try and hold on for 1, maybe 2 more years while other opportunities are coming my way. When you spend too much time looking at the door that’s closing you lose track of the many more that are opening up. That’s what I’m trying to do, stick my head in as many of them doors that I can until I find out what’s the next best step for myself. This can all be seen on this season of Kendra on Top. I wanted to let people see that there are plenty of NFL players that will continue to work once their careers are over.” CBS: Little Hank was voted one of our favorite celebrity toddlers in our recent Readers’ Choice Awards. How does it make you feel that Little Hank has ‘fans?’ Is he scared by the paparazzi? HB: “I find it pretty funny that Little Hank has fans. Definitely never expected this when I thought of having children. But it’s been good. What’s funny is he doesn’t mind the paparazzi at all. In fact there are times where he will notice them even before we do. Most of the paparazzi that have shot Little Hank have been very understanding and respectful. They know not to come between us and him and to keep the proper distance.” We do not have a specific availabilty date yet; however, per the Georgia Department of Revenue's Motor Vehicle Division, we are still on schedule for late summer. For your information, here are the instructions for getting your plate once they are availalbe: If you have already pre-ordered:
If you have not pre-orded, you may do so HERE. As always, we will keep you posted and let you know as soon as they are availalbe. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail us at gaetafund@gmail.com, or call (404) 987-0792. Spread the word! Originally posted at www.lungcancerfoundtion.org. BLINDSIDED BY DIAGNOSIS, 42-YEAR-OLD SAN FRANCISCO ENTREPRENEUR RAISES NEARLY $70,000 TO TAKE DOWN LUNG CANCER William Marble Kipp II and Friends Join the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation’s Army of Alliance Partners SAN FRANCISCO (July 2, 2012) — Like many who rushed to Silicon Valley’s Internet gold rush, William Marble Kipp II found fame fast and furious. First as an innovator in the early 1990’s at Google, then launching his own renewable energy enterprise, nothing could stop this passionate 42-year-old trailblazer. Until last summer in August of 2011 when the never smoker, avid athlete and father of two was diagnosed with metastatic Lung Cancer. In the months that have followed, with the help of his sister Kassidee, 29, and other family members, Kipp is working non-stop to spread awareness and raise funding for the cancer that kills more than 1.3 million worldwide annually and 450 per day in the United States. On May 19, 2012, The William Marble Kipp II Foundation www.WMK2.com raised nearly $70,000 for the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation (BJALCF) to help efforts to find a cure for Lung Cancer, at its inaugural fundraiser. The event was held at Bluxome Street Winery in the bustling SoMa district of San Francisco. More than 180 friends and family joined the Kipps to show support for Kipp and to mobilize with the Foundation to end Lung Cancer This pairing of the Kipp Foundation and the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation speaks volumes about the grassroots efforts and initiatives that are joining forces to lend their voice to help fight Lung Cancer. To date, and coast-to-coast, private foundations, independent fundraising initiatives, individuals, families and organizations have teamed up to build on the momentum of BJALCF. They include the Atlanta-based Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Fund which “Dances for Joan” each year, Grow For The Cure out of South Carolina which touts an innovative online adventure for men to grow beards in humorous shapes and names like “Zappa” and “Old Dutch” challenging support from friends online. Mae’s Breath in New York inhales hope and exhales the stigma, Minnesota-hosted dinner parties in honor of a loved one, galas in Los Angeles, and the Hank Baskett Classic Golf Tournament at Trump International gather thousands together to raise money for Lung Cancer research. “I have always believed taking down Lung Cancer is going to take a village,” says Bonnie J. Addario, founder and 8-year Lung Cancer survivor. “I couldn’t be more thrilled that from SoHo to SoMa we’ve got an uprising and urgency in motion to collaborate in a celebratory way with courageous celebrity voices speaking up like Hank Baskett and Kendra Wilkinson. We’re fighting for the lives of people like William and Hank’s dad because what the world needs to know is that ANYONE CAN GET LUNG CANCER.” “This is just the beginning of what we want to do for Bonnie and the foundation,” said Kassidee Kipp, organizer of the event. “When my brother was diagnosed he was blindsided. But we quickly decided that we wanted to do something to help others impacted by the disease and to help them know they are definitely not alone.” At the fundraiser, William’s children, Katerina, 8, and William the III, who they call, “Mars,” 6, sold bracelets they made themselves raising almost $1,200 in support of their dad and his battle with Lung Cancer, said Kassidee. “His kids feel they need to do something to help their dad,” she said. “They are going to fight to find a cure for their dad and others.” What’s next? It’s called “Fun-Raising” The list of ways you can get involved is growing in leaps and bounds. Please jump on one of the bandwagons below or come up with your own. The Foundation is here to partner with you in many ways…your imagination has no limits. Lung Cancer does not stand a chance because all monies raised go directly to cutting-edge Lung Cancer research. TUNE IN TOMORROW NIGHT to “Kendra ON TOP” (WE tv) Tuesday, July 3 www.wetv.com/shows/kendra-on-top TUNE INTO THE LUNG CANCER LIVING ROOM® EVERY THIRD TUESDAY http://www.ustream.tv/channel/the-lung-cancer-living-room-support-group BJALCF–Your Next Step is the Cure® 5ks across the country www.yournextstepisthecure.org Jill’s Legacy®–Jog for Jills 5ks on College Campuses www.jogforjill.com Jill’s Legacy®-Nick’s Crispy Tacos fundraising Party-San Francisco, CA July 26 1500 Broadway, San Francisco, CA 94109 THE GREAT LUNG RUN NYC to SF July 29 www.thegreatlungrun.com Stride for Susie and Smita 5K Saratoga, CA August 26 www.strideforsusieandsmita.kintera.org Taking Lung Cancer By Storm, Seattle Storm Seattle, WA September 21 www.lungcancerfoundation.org Cruise For Your Breath Baltimore, MD September 22 www.cruiseforyourbreath.com Fighting Barry 5K, Washington, DC September 23 www.fightingbarry.com Fry’s.com Open CordeValle Golf Course, CordeValle, CA October 8 -14 www.frysopen.com A Next Step For The Cure In Honor of Fred Spanton Ashville, NC October 21 www.lungcancerfoundation.org Palisano/Benson Lung Cancer Barrel Race Santa Rosa, CA November 4 www.2012memorialbarrelrace.kintera.org Simply the Best Dinner Gala 7 San Francisco, CA November 10 www.lungcancerfoundation.org For press inquiries, contact Sheila Von Driska, Communications, at 415.357.1278 or sheila@lungcancerfoundation.org To host an event in your town, contact Jennifer Hughes, Manager of Affiliates and Independent Fundraisers, at 650.333.6936 or jhughes@lungcancerfoundation.org About the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation BJALCF is one of the largest philanthropies (patient-founded, patient-focused, and patient-driven) devoted exclusively to eradicating Lung Cancer through research, early detection, education, and treatment. The Foundation works with a diverse group of physicians, organizations, industry partners, individuals, survivors, and their families to identify solutions and make timely and meaningful change. BJALCF was established on March 6, 2006 as a 501©(3) non-profit organization and has raised over nine million dollars for Lung Cancer research. www.lungcancerfoundation.org About the William Marble Kipp II Foundation The WMKII Foundation is dedicated to increasing awareness of Lung Cancer and funding research for advanced treatments for the disease. William was diagnosed with stage IV Lung Cancer in August of 2011 and is currently undergoing treatment. In 2012 his family and friends established the WMKII Foundation in his honor. www.wmk2.org. |
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