NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — One hundred families selected by the NORD Commission and Housing Authority of New Orleans benefitted from the generosity of Gayle Benson and her New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday afternoon.
A full roster of Pelicans, including injured Zion Williamson, were on hand at A.L. Davis Park in Central City to hand out gift cards, grocery items and game tickets before Thanksgiving on Thursday.
Residents were able to get up close and personal with the NBA stars as well as a helping hand to kick off the holiday season.
“This is my first time meeting the players and Mrs. Benson,” said Uptown native, Bridget Wilson. “It’s a good thing when you help the community because the community needs it sometimes.”
Benson kicked off the festive event by thanking all those in attendance, as well as the team for making this happy Thanksgiving for so many in need.
“It feels great to be in this position. To be blessed to be a blessing to others,” said Pelicans forward and former LSU Tiger, Garrett Temple. “I think Mrs. Benson being here is very, very big. You could tell how eager, how excited the people were just to see her face, to see her being in the community helping out. That says a lot about that person and the type of organization that she runs.”