Kentucky men's basketball team to hold open practice, telethon for flood victim relief
Before the Kentucky men’s basketball team heads for the Bahamas, it’ll look to lend a hand closer to home.
The Wildcats will hold an open practice at Rupp Arena on Tuesday, the program announced via Twitter on Sunday, part of a fundraising effort to assist victims of heavy flooding in Eastern Kentucky.
Doors open at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Rupp Arena, according to a news release from WLEX-TV in Lexington. Parking in the High Street lot across from Rupp will be free, and donations will be taken at entry gates.
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UK also will co-host a telethon from 5-8 p.m. Tuesday in conjunction with the station. More details are expected to be released Monday.
Both events will benefit the American Red Cross.
#BBN, we need you on Tuesday.
Join us for an open practice at Rupp Arena and the Kentucky Flood Relief Telethon with proceeds going to the @RedCross to those affected by the floods in Kentucky. pic.twitter.com/khuCgi1iAT— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) July 31, 2022
In a tweet Sunday, Kentucky coach John Calipari said his team came to him after the flooding in Eastern Kentucky and “had an idea to help,” calling this week’s fundraisers “a player-driven initiative.”
“We recognize that our state is hurting and our team wanted to do anything we could to do to step up and help,” freshman guard Cason Wallace said in a video announcing the fundraisers.
I am so proud of our team and who they are. They came to me immediately after the floods in eastern Kentucky and had an idea to help, so we got to work together.
We have a player-driven initiative being announced later today that will support flood victims. Stay tuned #BBN!— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) July 31, 2022
Last December, a UK basketball telethon helped raise more than $3 million for victims of deadly tornadoes in Western Kentucky. Calipari’s program has previously hosted telethons for earthquake victims in Haiti and victims of a hurricane and subsequent flooding in Houston.
At least 28 people have died as a result of this weekend’s flooding in Eastern Kentucky, according to a Sunday evening update from Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. That number is expected to rise as more information becomes available.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky basketball to fundraise for Eastern Kentucky flood victims
