Inside Jalen Brunson’s Charity Golf Tournament & Dinner

Ethan Melwani
Aug 20
2 min read

What is the Second Round Foundation?

Jalen Brunson’s Second Round Foundation is a charity he started to give back to young people through education, sports, and community programs. It is named after Brunson being a second-round NBA draft pick, and the foundation’s goal is to show kids that hard work matters more than where you start.

Since its creation, the Second Round Foundation has:

Donated over $300,000 to DREAM’s Scratch Food Program in New York.
Launched the Patriot Wellness Initiative, which provides hundreds of families with medical supplies, snacks, and athletic gear.
Partnered with Garden of Dreams and Make-A-Wish to support children and families in need.
Hosted holiday dinners and shopping sprees for families
Provided grants and donations to many other organizations

Every year, Jalen Brunson and The Second Round Foundation host a golf tournament and dinner reception to raise money for charity. Here's an inside look at what that was like from someone who got a chance to attend:

The Event:

The Event Schedule:

Golf - The event began with a full day of golf on the two 18-hole courses at Westchester Country Club. Each team paid to participate, and the course had lots of sponsors, which raised lots of money.
Cocktail Social & Silent Auction - Attendees socialized and had the chance to bid on exclusive items to raise more money
Dinner Reception - The dinner reception featured speeches, awards, a Q&A, and other fun moments celebrating the foundation’s achievements.

Pictured below is where the dinner and reception took place:

Who Was There:

Besides Jalen Brunson, several New York Knicks teammates and other big names showed up to support Brunson and the charity. Some notable names in attendance included:

Mikal Bridges (New York Knick)
Josh Hart (New York Knick)
Jordan Clarkson (New York Knick)
Tyler Kolek (New York Knick)
Keegan-Michael Key (Comedian and actor)
Mike Breen (NBA commentator)
Leon Rose (Knicks president)
And many more friends, family, and guests

Many of these people were seen walking around before the dinner, giving guests a chance to meet and take photos with them.

Highlights

Some other overall highlights of the event include:

Speeches - Jalen Brunson and Members of the Second Round Foundation talked about what the organization does and why they do it. They also did an award ceremony for both the people who played the best golf and the people who have helped the organization a lot.
A humorous Q&A - While being asked questions by Keegan-Michael Key, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart talked about their chemistry, made fun of each other, and talked about what the organization means to them.
A paddle raise auction - Many different experiences, such as VIP Knicks Tickets, were auctioned off in a paddle raise auction. Many of these experiences went for over $20K, raising tons of money for the foundation.
Meeting the team - Everybody at the event got the chance to briefly meet and shake hands with members of the Second Round Foundation, including Jalen Brunson.