Dirk Nowitzki continued one of his favorite holiday traditions in early December. For over a decade now, Dirk has scheduled a day to spend at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas. He delivers gifts, plays cards and video games with the kids, and meets with parents. The annual event is special to Dirk and it is important to him to brighten the day of children who are going through a difficult time and spending the holiday season in the hospital.  

The day would not be possible without all the amazing behind-the-scenes work from the staff, nurses and child life professionals at Children’s. This incredible team works tirelessly to help curate each child’s individual wish list, organize timing for Dirk to visit between treatments and appointments and make sure everything remains a surprise for the big day.  

»Uncle Dirk,« as many of the children affectionately refer to him, started his annual December tradition many years ago. It is always a day of smiles and laughter, whether that’s as the kids receive gifts from their wish list, getting to play Uno with Uncle Dirk or challenging the Hall of Famer to a free throw contest on a Nerf hoop. 

The partnership with Children’s and Uncle Dirk has been extremely special and Dirk, his family and The Dirk Nowitzki Foundation look forward to continuing to work with this amazing facility for years to come.  

»Uncle Dirk, as he’s known at Children’s Health, has been bringing countless smiles to our patients for many years,« said Brent Christopher, President, Children’s Medical Center Foundation. »He always exudes humble compassion and generosity, which means the world to kids and parents alike. We’re honored by the time he spends at Children’s Health and are so grateful for the hands-on way he embraces the mission to make life better for children.«