BATON ROUGE — Habitat for Humanity, along with the LSU women’s basketball head coach Pokey Chatman and her staff will dedicate the “Sue Gunter House” on Saturday.
The project began in Knoxville, Tenn., in May with the help of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and the NCAA. The final construction will take place this week and be completed during the weekend.
The home will be dedicated to the memory of Sue Gunter, former LSU women’s basketball coach and 2000 Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductee. The dedication is in conjunction with a 14-home Habitat building blitz in the area.
Habitat for Humanity will build 14 houses (10 in Baton Rouge and four in Plaquemine), including the “Gunter House.”
The houses in Baton Rouge will be located in the Hidden Cove development near Bluebonnett Blvd.
The project is the latest development in a three-year “Home Team” partnership between Habitat for Humanity and the NCAA that began in September with a $1 million lead gift from Division II and a $500,000 matching gift from the Association and the national office. In January, the Association leadership donated an additional $1 million for a total of $2.5 million. The partnership will provide donations through additional fundraising and volunteers for the long-term rebuilding effort on the Gulf Coast following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
“This partnership is incredibly important to Habitat for Humanity because of the many resources the NCAA offers,” said Chris Clarke, senior vice president of Habitat for Humanity International. “The NCAA brings much needed funding and volunteers to address the needs of families displaced by the hurricanes.
“They also reach out to America’s youth and encourage them to make a difference. Best of all, they will carry that message over the next three years,” Clarke said.
A similar “Habitat home in a box” build occurred in Chattanooga, Tenn., at the Division I-AA Football Championships in December and in Indianapolis at the Division II Swimming and Diving Championships in March. During the Men’s Final Four April 1-3, three Habitat “Houses in a box” were constructed outside the NCAA National Office; a fourth house will be built in Indianapolis at a later date. A build is also being planned in conjunction with the College World Series.