Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Prep basketball players learn merits of charity while helping at Salvation Army

Las Vegas Knicks

Special to the Sun

Members of the Las Vegas Knicks basketball program and their families helped serve food to an estimated 300 patrons at the Salvation Army near downtown on Nov. 25, 2016.

This group of teens mostly identify with being basketball players. Life is spent playing the game, watching it, talking about it or playing basketball in video-game form. I was the same way growing up with soccer.

One day, my soccer-playing friend Danny Welsh and his mom, Anne, invited me downtown to serve breakfast to some of the area’s homeless.

I grew up in a pretty nice neighborhood and had never been around someone down on their luck. The trip taught me the importance of serving others, and I’m forever thankful for the Welsh family showing me the way in charity.

That’s the kind of impact Lamar Bigby hopes the players in his Las Vegas Knicks basketball program feel with the community service they performed today. A group of about 40 players and their families served lunch to some 300 patrons at the Salvation Army near downtown.

They served pasta, green beans, pie and more. More important, they helped put a smile on the face of some of Las Vegas’ homeless population. Along the way, they were introduced to charity and learned that everyone’s priorities don’t involve a basketball game.

“We have a greater responsibility in our community than teaching the kids how to play basketball,” Bigby said. “It’s important these young men understand it’s important to give back to the community.”

When Bigby initially coordinated the effort, he didn’t know how many players would show up. To his pleasure, many graduates of the program also attended.

“Those kids didn’t have to be there,” he said of players such as Centennial High seniors Isaiah Banks and Darian Scott. “Their career with us is over. It just goes to show how tight-knit the kids are with each other and what this program means to them.”

Bigby plans to make this an annual event. Just like my teenage experience, I’m certain his players will long remember their introduction to service.

“They responded great. It was very humbling for me,” the coach said.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21

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