During his four years at Brother Martin High School, Jalen Gray '13 made a name for himself as a standout guard on the Crusader basketball team. His ability to score from seemingly anywhere on the court made him a good player, but what made Jalen exceptional was his ability to make his teammates better.
This past weekend, Jalen provided the New Orleans community with another assist. Jalen, a lifelong resident of New Orleans, took issue with the blight affecting much of the local community and chose to take action. For years, Jalen had passed the Lafitte-Greenway basketball court while passing on the nearby Claiborne overpass. Jalen chose to spearhead an effort to create a mural on the area's blacktop basketball court. The mural, "Shine Together," was created BElite, a collection of youth artists from the New Orleans community. Gray also worked with the New Orleans Recreation Department and the Friends of the Lafitte Greenway to make this positive message come to life.
On August 20th, Jalen cut the ribbon to the new court and was accompanied by the Pelicans' young star, Jaxson Hayes. Shortly thereafter, a large number of children took to the court to utilize the new court.
Congratulations to Jalen Gray '13 for spearheading this project and making a tremendous positive impact on our New Orleans community.
