From Brandon Ingram to Gayle Benson, Pelicans are giving back during holiday season

As a kid, Brandon Ingram felt fortunate that his path intersected with Jerry Stackhouse’s.

Donald Ingram, who is the Pelicans forward’s father, and Stackhouse, an 18-year NBA veteran, both grew up in Kinston, North Carolina, a hoops hotbed despite a population that barely pushes past 20,000.

During Ingram’s teenage years, Stackhouse took him under his wing. He was there every step of the way as the 23-year-old progressed from high school star to a one-and-done year at Duke to the NBA. The role Stackhouse played in Ingram’s life is one reason why Ingram now feels obligated to give back.

“I remember having the opportunity as a kid having the chance to talk to an NBA player,” Ingram said. “I had Jerry Stackhouse. For him to give back to me, I was fortunate for that.”

Ahead of the holidays, Ingram donated 40 Adidas bags full of socks, water bottles and hygiene kits to Boys Town Louisiana, which assists abused, neglected and troubled New Orleans youth. At the tail end of a year where unemployment, homelessness and hunger climbed, Ingram, teammates Jaxson Hayes and Lonzo Ball, and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson all made contributions within the community.

“I just try to take myself out of this role, and I try to put myself in a lot of people’s shoes,” Ingram said. “I have a lot of family and friends who have desires to do something in life. They are just like the kids who are growing up going through those tough times. I try to put myself in those shoes.”

Ball, the Pelicans’ starting point guard, donated clothing and fast food gift cards to the Rivarde Juvenile Detention Center in Harvey. Ball gifted 24 detainees there Pelicans drawstring bags, Nike flip flops and $20 gift cards to Raising Cane’s.

Hayes, the Pelicans’ second-year big man, purchased 1,000 meals from Black-owned restaurants. Morrow’s, which blends traditional New Orleans cuisine and Korean food, and Heard Dat Kitchen are two of the restaurants Hayes worked with. Second Harvest Food Bank distributed the meals.

Hayes’ donation is part of a larger push to support communities of color. That has been a point of emphasis for the NBA since May, when George Floyd, a Black man in Minneapolis, was killed by Derek Chauvin, a White police officer.

In a statement released after Floyd was killed, Benson denounced “police brutality in any form,” while announcing the creation of a social justice leadership coalition.

In October, Benson was one of eight people named to the NBA Foundation Board of Directors, which is made up of team owners, players and player’s union executives. The group was created to address racial inequality.

Benson helped guide $2 million in grant funding to the New Orleans-based Youth Empowerment Project, which provides mentoring for more than 1,000 children every year.

Earlier this month, Benson also helped families in South Louisiana and Alabama get presents under the tree. She paid off hundreds of layaway orders at three different Walmart locations. Her donations benefitted roughly 300 families, including 122 in New Orleans.

“This is exactly what our community needs right now,” said Robert Scothorn, who manages the Walmart on Mall Drive in Alexandria. “Between COVID-19 this year and on top of that, the hurricane season, and just in general this year, we needed something like this to spread joy and bring back the holiday spirit.”