Albuquerque, NM – December 4, 2008 - It is officially the ‘Season of Cheering’ and the Albuquerque Thunderbirds (Tbirds) will kick-off the 4th season of the School House Jam on Thursday, December 18, 2008 at 10:30am at the Tingley Coliseum at EXPO NM. The School House Jam let’s students have the opportunity to attend a special morning Tbirds basketball game for FREE and witness the real life application of Math, Geography and Spelling in a fun and interactive environment.

Each student attending will receive a workbook with a variety of educational exercises courtesy of Newspapers in Education (NIE) in conjunction with the Albuquerque Journal. These student fans will also get a chance to meet and greet with the players and coaches after the game.

In order to allow as many schools and students as possible attend this game for FREE, the Tbirds are looking for corporate and individual sponsors. This unique opportunity allows sponsors to provide a holiday gift of learning and fun to each student. Sponsorship levels go from as little as $250 to provide this opportunity to 25 students, to $2500 providing the opportunity to 250 students. Each sponsor will then receive group tickets, comparable to their sponsorship level, to attend the Tbirds home game the following night, Friday, December 19 at 7pm at the Tingley Coliseum at EXPO NM. Each sponsor will also receive placement in a “Thank You” ad in the Albuquerque Journal.

For any corporations, individuals or schools interested in involving themselves the SCHOOL HOUSE JAM this holiday season, please contact the Albuquerque Thunderbirds at 505.265.3865 (DUNK).

EXPERIENCE THE EXCITEMENT OF PRO-BASKETBALL IN ALBUQUERQUE!

Through D-League Cares, the NBA D-League is deeply committed to addressing important social issues with a special emphasis on programs that support education, local community building and youth basketball. Our players, coaches and staff strive to provide unparalleled time and access to their fans and work hard to improve the quality of life in our communities.

The NBA Development League is the NBA's official minor league, and the first-ever basketball league with direct affiliations to NBA teams. Having recently completed its seventh season, the NBA D-League’s goals are to provide affordable, NBA-caliber entertainment to fans of its 16 teams, as well as continue to develop players, coaches, referees and front-office personnel for the NBA. As the single source for in-season player "call-ups" to the NBA, fans of the D-League enjoy the highest caliber of basketball played outside the NBA. In fact 15 percent of players on 2008 end-of-season NBA rosters spent time honing their skills in the League. In addition, it has produced current NBA coaches and 25 percent of the NBA’s referees. The NBA D-League is an innovative and rapidly growing sports property that also serves as an experimental testing ground for new initiatives like NBA Futurecast, the live web-streaming of all games available free at nba.com/futurecast and www.abqtbirds.com. The League also provides continuing education and professional development resources for its players, and is committed to serving its local communities through D-LEAGUE CARES and grassroots efforts.