Ty Jerome raising money for clean water in underdeveloped countries

With fantasy football, NBA players including Phoenix Suns guard Ty Jerome are aiming to raise money for access to clean water in underdeveloped counties.

Fans are invited to be part of the project.

Hoops4Humanity, created by Milwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon’s foundation, works on different initiatives, one of which includes making clean water more available to people in Tanzania and Kenya.

“It is our first big campaign of the foundation. We just thought it was a fun way to allow all of the players, the athletes, that wanted to participate to participate and to bring in their fans and the people who care about them and the things they’re doing,” said Jann Adams, Brogdon’s mother and the executive director of the Brogdon Family Foundation, said in a video posted to the Suns’ Twitter account.

"This is one of the biggest issues in the world."

Team-up with @tyjerome_ in building wells in Africa to make clean water accessible to families in need. #Hoops4Humanity pic.twitter.com/KxlUHOHOvq

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) August 29, 2020

Registration costs for the league range from $150 to $1,000. The winner will receive a trip to the 2021 NBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis, if the game takes place.

The draft will be held Tuesday at 7 p.m.

With registration, participants will take place in a draft pick Zoom meeting with a player. The larger donation amounts equate to other giveaways, including a signed basketball by Brogdon or tickets to a Pacers game.

“I probably won’t do well, but I think it’ll just be fun to see some of the people, some of the fans,” Jerome said.

Just 57% of the Tanzania population has access to an improved water source, and only 30% have access to improved sanitation, according to Water.org.

Instead, they often rely on ponds, shallow wells and rivers.

In Kenya, 60% of people have access to improved water sources and 30% has access to improved water sanitation, according to Water.org.

Between those two countries, that’s almost 45 million people without access to clean water.

They money raised will go toward building wells in areas of need.

“This is one of the biggest issues in the world,” Jerome said. “Imagine you come home and you can’t drink clean water, you have nowhere to bathe.”

Hoops4Humanity consists of 13 NBA players and three WNBA players.

Brogdon, Jerome, Anthony Tolliver, Kevin Huerter, Joe Harris, Justin Anderson, Donte DiVincenzo and George Hill are participating in the fantasy football league.

“It’s for a great cause. Right now we’re in a pandemic and we think we have it bad, we think we’re struggling, but imagine during a pandemic you can’t drink clean water, you can’t wash your hands with clean water, you can’t bathe with clean water,” Jerome said.

Follow @AZSports