UK Basketball teams up with Samaritan’s Feet in eastern Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. ( FOX 56 ) — UK Men’s Basketball is once again stepping up to help Kentuckians in need. Today, Coach Cal , his team, and several other UK coaches are sending 10,000 new pairs of shoes and socks to Perry and Floyd Counties.

It was the players, not the coaches, who really got the ball rolling.

Earlier this month, the Wildcats served students in the Bahamas, washing their feet and gifting them new shoes. Now that they’re back home, they want to do the same thing for the flood victims in Eastern Kentucky, so Coach Cal called Manny Ohonme, Founder of Samaritan’s Feet.

Coach Cal has worked with Ohonme for more than a decade, helping Haitians after the earthquakes, Western Kentuckians following the December tornados, and other areas affected around Big Blue Nation.

The donation is sponsored by Couch Cal, his foundation, and Hanes. They expect to help thousands today, reminding them they don’t need to walk this rocky road alone.

“Sometimes it is all about showing up. Don’t tell them how much you know. Show them how much you care,” said Ohonme. “People will forget what you say, but it will be hard to forget how you made them feel.”

The team makes two stops today. One in Prestonsburg and the other in Buckhorn. They’ll be set up from 10 AM until 2 PM at Jenny Wiley State Park and from 12:30 PM to 4 PM at Buckhorn Lake State Park.

This labor of love will not only impact the victims but the volunteers as well.

“There is such an emotional response to caring for humanity,” said Ohonme. “You get the chance to go out of your own way, love on these people, and remind them that we are in this together.”

LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS:

• New leash on life: Eastern Kentucky girl gets new pup after losing so much
• Paris man taking it upon himself to mentor local teens after vandalism
• Golden Alert issued for 51-year-old Lexington man

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News.