AboutUS By Hotspotorlando #24 | Page 34

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.”