Kevin Wilkinson
Curt Zimmerman, Publicity
The next meeting for the Men’s Christian Fellowship of PebbleCreek (MCFPC) is scheduled for Wednesday, March 6 at 7:30 a.m. in the Tuscany Falls Chianti Room. All men of PebbleCreek are welcome and invited to attend. This month’s guest speaker is Kevin Wilkinson, Ex. Vice President of the Naismith Legacy Group. Kevin will focus on the inventor of basketball, Dr. James Naismith, and the Christian principles behind how the game was started.
The Naismith story is one of redemption from a life filled with tragedy, bad choices, and deadly circumstances to a life that gave the world the game of basketball. Wilkinson says Dr. Naismith’s strong Christian principles led him to once say, “You can’t separate God from Basketball.” While working with the Metro Basketball Association in suburban Detroit, Kevin met Ian Naismith, a grandson of Dr. Naismith and a friendship began. In 2002, the Naismith Legacy Group was formed to work with youth sports, coaches, parents, and referees. The intent was to identify the dangerous direction of youth sports and offer an alternative approach using Dr. Naismith as a focal point.
The Naismith story and its Christian principles have been shared through seminars, and education tools in schools, the YMCA, and major basketball events.
Kevin was a three-sport athlete in Garden City, Mich., and received a baseball scholarship at Kansas State University where he was a four-year starting catcher. His professional career included 30 years in the travel and hospitality industry. He and his wife Connie have three sons and have been married 50 years and are members of Desert Springs Community Church in Goodyear.
The MCFPC is a group of more than 160 Christian men who meet the first Wednesday of each month, October through April. Weekly bible studies are also held each Tuesday at the Chianti room annex at 8:30 a.m. More information can be obtained from Neil Smith at [email protected].
Plan to arrive early as coffee will be provided. The Tuscany Falls Chianti Room is located between the ballroom and the library. For more information, contact President Igor Shpudejko at [email protected] or 602-384-6496.