Drive to Detroit: Horizon League Schools Making an Impact in the Detroit Community
Lance Rinker
Drive to Detroit is a series that prepares fans for Motor City Madness. Each article will take fans behind the scenes of a team’s journey or preview what fans can expect when they arrive in Detroit.
In this installment of Drive to Detroit, Horizon League Contributor Joey Yashinsky details some of the ways Horizon League men's and women's basketball teams have been giving back to the Detroit community during their road trips to the area.
Photos courtesy of respective member institutions.
Throughout the winter, men’s and women’s basketball teams of the Horizon League fight tooth and nail on the court in a quest for conference supremacy. Schools jockey for position, trying to gain the highest possible seed in preparation for Motor City Madness beginning March 2.
But there is a whole lot of heart and hustle being displayed off the court, too.
With the Horizon League tournament set to take place at brand new Little Caesars Arena, each of the conference’s teams will volunteer their time and effort to the metro Detroit community. The schedule dictates that schools traveling to Michigan get an off-day between contests with Oakland and Detroit, and teams are using that time to make a positive impact in the surrounding areas.
The specific volunteer initiatives differ amongst each of the clubs.
The Northern Kentucky women spent their time assisting Focus: HOPE, a non-profit organization in Detroit aiming to help overcome racism and poverty for underrepresented minorities. The Norse hoopers assisted by opening and sorting food on pallets for future distribution as part of the Commodity Supplemental Food Program.
Cole Gentry and his Wright State Raider teammates spent their time at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan, located just a mile from Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. They worked diligently to create coloring kits for the kids, then sat alongside as the youngsters put the crayons to good use.
“We’re pretty fortunate, all the guys on our team,” Gentry said. “Being in this position, you can really help others, and it’s good to give back.”
The Wright State women visited the Boys & Girls Club in Auburn Hills to interact with the kids and play some pick-up basketball. The Milwaukee Panthers women’s team had the same idea, leading a hoops clinic at the Highland Park Boys & Girls Club for the after school students.
Community service efforts for the Cleveland State and Youngstown State men’s squads took place at the Coalition On Temporary Shelter. Student-athletes helped to sort donated items and also served lunch to those in need.
The Horizon League’s devotion to community outreach ensures that the impact made by all teams will be felt not just between the lines, but off the court as well. The city of Detroit welcomes all 20 Horizon League teams in March for Motor City Madness, a five-day basketball blitz that will conclude with the crowning of two conference champions.
No matter the final story reflected on the scoreboard, each Horizon League team will return home knowing that it has left a unique imprint on the metro Detroit community.
MOTOR CITY MADNESS
The 2018 Little Caesars Horizon League Men’s & Women’s Basketball Championship will take place March 2-6 at state-of-the-art Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Tickets can be purchased now at campus box offices or at HorizonLeague.com.
Drive to Detroit series
1: The District Detroit
2: College Hoops Invades Little Caesars Arena
3: #HLWBB Garners National Acclaim as League Play Tips Off
4: A Visitor's Overview
5: Five Awesome Spots to Eat During Motor City Madness
6: Horizon League Schools Making an Impact in the Detroit Community