BATON ROUGE — Saturday afternoon was a joyous occasion for a family that lost everything when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans last August thanks to Habitat for Humanity, the NCAA and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
On Saturday, the three organizations along with the LSU women’s basketball head coach Pokey Chatman and her staff, dedicated and presented the “Sue Gunter House” to Wynethia Thompson and her three sons.
The project began in Knoxville, Tenn., in May with the help of the WBCA and the NCAA. The final construction took place this past week. The house is located on St. Croix Street in Baton Rouge.
The home is 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.
The dedication of the “Gunter House” took place along with 14 others during the weekend. Habitat for Humanity built 14 houses (10 in Baton Rouge and four in Plaquemine).
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.