INDIANAPOLIS - Tuesday was hat day at Shepherd Community Center Academy. Students wore hats for every occasion and supporting various sports teams. One young lady even wore a hamburger hat. One teacher wearing a Pacers 50th season cap hinted at a surprise guest.
"The 2017 slam dunk champion, Glenn Robinson III!" announced Shepherd Community Center Chief Program Officer Andrew Green over the cafeteria speakers as students cheered loudly.
The Indiana Pacers' forward walked in a side door and brought along the NBA slam dunk contest trophy he won last month in New Orleans. Robinson teamed up with KRa Drinks for Athletes to donate sports equipment to the school and 30 cases of the organic sports drink.
"It's just a unique opportunity to come here," said Robinson. "They have 150 kids, kind of a smaller school. I like to give back. I've been called underrated all my life, so I like to give back those who need it, those who really care for it. You saw the energy as soon as I walked in. They were excited. They were happy to be here. That's what I love."
"They didn't know it was coming," said Green, "but really the donation of sports equipment and sports drinks just fall in line with one of the main pieces that we do at Shepherd concentrating on physical activity and health and nutrition."
Photo: #Pacers NBA slam dunk champ @GRIII & @drinkkra make sports equipment donation during visit to @ShepherdIndy. BTW it was #hatday too. pic.twitter.com/kh4ONm6iJm
— Rich Nye (@NyeSportsGuy) March 22, 2017
The students watched a video of Robinson's winning dunks before a short Q & A session with the 23-year-old native of northwest Indiana and son of former Purdue and NBA player Glenn Robinson.
"I know how much it means to these kids," said Robinson. "I went to camps when I was younger. I got a chance to experience growing up with my dad in the NBA and how much it means to give back to these kids and how much it can impact their future."
Robinson III jumped over teammate Paul George, Pacers mascot Boomer and a Pacemates cheerleader in the dunk contest, but one child asked Robinson if he could jump over a hundred people.
"That last dunk that I did that I won it with I probably could have done four or fove, but I did three just to be safe," Robinson said with a laugh.
Even Glenn wore a blue denim cap for a hat day he made unforgettable for students at the near east side school.
"I think it's almost bigger than life," said Green. "They don't have opportunities like that in most of the rest of their life. So to see someone who has worked really hard and succeeded that's another great story that we love to be able to connect them to and see that he's from here and he's giving back."
KRa, which stands for "keep rising above," launched last summer. The Chicago-based company struck a partnership with Robinson through a friend. KRa funded the school donation to congratulate Robinson for winning the dunk contest. The company plans two more similar donations at schools in Chicago and Washington, D.C.
"I'd love to get KRa, a better sports drink, in the hands of a bunch of athletes," said KRa Co-Founder and CEO Sarah Hardgrove-Koleno. "I'd love to see any kid who wants to stay in the game. We'd love to give them the opportunity. So whether it’s sports equipment, whether it's a donation, whether it's cash - whatever we can do to keep as many kids in the game - that helps them build leadership and character."
"Me being an Indiana guy, I know how much it means to me and these kids to give back," said Robinson. "It's things that I want to do. Just winning the dunk contest helps get my name out more. The kids know me more and that just means more of the impact that I can have on people's lives."
