About
Giving Back
To The Community
Magic Make One Local Boy’s Wish Come True as
Team’sFirst “Magic Maker”
From his position near the Amway Center court
10-year-old Caleb Dominguez looked on with great
interest as Magic standouts Victor Oladipo and Maurice Harkless went through vigorous stretching exercises prior to their pregame shooting sessions.
It was then that Caleb told his father, Marco, and his
mother, Angela, that he could relate to the highly
skilled NBA players because he too has to go through
similar stretching exercises. Born with cerebral palsy and in a wheelchair most of his life, Caleb goes to
therapy twice a day in the hopes that he can someday
soon walk with the assistance of a walker.
Angela Dominguez said that after seeing Oladipo
and Harkless in action, her son – who has always
fashioned himself as a ballplayer because of his love
of playing with balls – can’t wait to work on stretching and strengthening his legs at his next therapy
session.
“He was watching the Magic guys stretch just like he
does. They have to stretch out their legs just like he
does because he’s trying to get up and walk,” said Angela Dominguez, whose family lives in East Orlando.
“That helps show him that the players work hard to
do what they do and he has to work hard in therapy,
too.”
Added Marco: “Caleb told me, ‘Dad, they’re out there
working just like I do. Now I have to work and stretch
like they do so I can become a basketball player, too.’”
Caleb, a fifth grader, got to experience a life-long
dream last Friday night when he was invited by the
Magic to the Amway Center for a VIP experience.
The Dominguez family got courtside tickets for the
game and Caleb got a personalized jersey to wear.
Topping off the experience, he was greeted before
the game by Magic standouts Tobias Harris, Oladipo
and Harkless and Community Ambassadors Nick
Anderson and Bo Outlaw.
The current and past players signed autographs,
joked around and slapped high-fives with Caleb.
“It’s just such a great feeling to see a kid like Caleb smiling and
having fun,” Harkless said. “It’s also humbling to realize how fortunate we are as NBA players to do what we do. So if we can do just
a little bit to make someone’s day, it’s so important.”