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WINTERVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - Basketball has taken Rico Hines from collegiate courts to the NBA sidelines, but the Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach returned home to Eastern North Carolina to give back to the next generation.
Roughly 100 young athletes gathered for Hines’ third annual youth basketball clinic, sharpening their skills on the court while raising critical funds for the community.
“It’s always good to come back,” Hines said. “This is my third year coming back, partnering with Horizons, which is a great group—great organization, giving back to the community. So I just try to do my part to help out with it.”
The annual event benefits Horizons of Pitt County, a nonprofit dedicated to helping local students strengthen academic skills and combat summer learning loss. The idea for the fundraiser started close to home through Hines’ mother, committee chair Faye Bordeaux.
“We asked him, ‘Do you think you could come home and do a training with our kids so we can raise money as a fundraiser?’” Bordeaux said. “That was three years ago, he said yes.”
Participation has steadily climbed each year. Bordeaux noted the clinic launched with 75 participants in its first year and reached 101 young athletes this time around.
The funds raised play an essential role in keeping Horizons’ summer programming accessible and tuition-free for area families.
“What it does is allows our students to be able to have a good time, but then it gives us this financial means to be able to help our students during the summer—and not only the summer—but all year long,” said Horizons Board Chair Virginia Harty.
According to organizers, this year’s clinic has already brought in around $17,000 for the nonprofit, with donations continuing to come in.
Beyond basketball fundamentals and fundraising, Hines hopes the participants leave with a lasting mindset.
“Don’t ever let anybody tell you that you can’t do it,” Hines said. “Just keep working hard and anything can happen.”
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