UNC Basketball Alumni: Harrison Barnes makes donation to Ames’ schools
By Zack Pearson
Former UNC Basketball standout Harrison Barnes made a donation to schools in Ames’ this year for the renovation of a new gym
With the NBA season temporarily suspended, players across the country have found ways to make an impact during this COVID-19 pandemic. That includes a few different former North Carolina standouts.
Earlier in the week we told you about how Coby White found a way to donate food to healthcare workers in Chapel Hill with a generous donation. Now, it’s Harrison Barnes’ turn.
The former UNC standout and current Sacramento Kings forward made a donation of $195K to schools in his hometown of Ames, Iowa. The money will go towards renovations for the gym in the new high school built in the city.
Harrison Barnes is giving back to the high school that began his basketball career with upgrades to the competition gymnasium in the new Ames High School. You can read more about the upgrades and his many philanthropic efforts on our website. #AmesCSDhttps://t.co/DNcPGNhsq5 pic.twitter.com/AKMmD9Gkf6
— Ames Community School District (@ACSD_News) May 19, 2020
Among the new upgrades, the gym will receive a video board, an updated scoreboard for new player stats, floor mounted NBA baskets, student bleachers and enhancements to the lighting in the gym.
It’s not the first time Barnes and his wife Brittany’s foundation, Harrison Barnes Reading Academy, made a donation to the city. In addition to offering year-round tutoring and a summer reading program, the foundation made a $53,000 donation to the city’s library back in 2019. He’s also donated $300,000 to a new playground and baseball field that is being built in the city and broke ground in 2019.
Barnes has always had a love for his hometown of Ames dating back to his days in Chapel Hill and it’s awesome to see him still donate to help out the community any way he can.
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For more on Barnes and other former UNC Basketball alumni, please make sure to check back with Keeping it Heel.