UK basketball commit Reed Sheppard hosts camp, delivers donation for Eastern Ky. flood relief
At a school perched atop a winding mountain road on the outskirts of Pikeville, Reed Sheppard spoke about the importance of helping out and giving back, values that have highlighted his rise as a Kentucky basketball recruit and commit.
The North Laurel High School senior — and future Wildcat — has used his platform in recent months to help raise money and assist flood relief efforts in Eastern Kentucky, and Sheppard’s work in this regard continued Saturday afternoon.
Sheppard hosted a basketball camp for young children at Millard School in Pikeville, just hours before the annual Kentucky men’s basketball Blue-White Game took place at Appalachian Wireless Arena in downtown Pikeville.
Sheppard also presented a $10,000 donation to SOAR (Shaping Our Appalachian Region), a regional nonprofit that advocates for 54 Appalachian Regional Commission counties in Eastern Kentucky and promotes initiatives to improve the quality of life in these counties, including economically.
“It means a lot, being able to do this and give back to the community and be able to come out and hang out with the kids,” Sheppard said. “I looked up to a lot of high school players, especially ones that were going and playing at Kentucky, being a Kentucky fan.”
Sheppard’s donation was earmarked for SOAR’s Eastern Kentucky Student Support Fund, which aims to support students and their families that were affected by flooding this summer in Eastern Kentucky.
More than 40 people have died as a result of the catastrophic flooding, and according to the American Red Cross more than 1,600 homes were destroyed or “majorly damaged” by the flooding.
In a Friday afternoon interview with the Herald-Leader, Colby Hall, the executive director of SOAR, praised Sheppard for using his stature as the top in-state high school basketball recruit to positively impact Eastern Kentucky.
Hall, a UK alum, said he grew up cheering for Kentucky’s 1998 national championship team that Reed’s father, Jeff, starred on.
“I rooted for Jeff Sheppard and Cameron Mills, those guys were my two favorite players,” Hall said. “We feel honored to have the opportunity to essentially take the funds that he’s raised and get it right back out to seven families that have a real need for appliances and their houses because they were completely washed away.”
The camp featured Sheppard and several of his North Laurel teammates leading young children through basketball drills.
Sheppard said he planned to attend Saturday night’s UK Blue-White Game.
“I think everybody looks up to Kentucky basketball. I’d say Pikeville, the county has been pretty excited for the week because of the camp and more because of the Blue-White Game and all the Kentucky players that are going to be down at the arena,” Sheppard said. “That’s a big thing. That’s an awesome experience that a lot of people in Pikeville will be able to go and see. I think it’s awesome that Kentucky basketball has a huge impact on the whole state of Kentucky, and especially Eastern Kentucky.”
Earlier this year, Sheppard attempted to help organize a charity all-star high school basketball game in Lexington that would have raised funds toward Eastern Kentucky flood relief efforts.
Sheppard and Lyon County junior Travis Perry — another UK recruit, were barred from playing in the game due to a KHSAA rule, and the event never occurred.
Saturday’s event in Pikeville, unlike that proposed charity basketball game, took place in an area, and with people directly affected by the flooding.
“I commend Reed, I commend his family because it sounds like he’s been raised the right way and he understands that when you put that Kentucky basketball jersey on, it is a game it is, but he’s playing for the state and there’s a lot of big time fans over here in the region,” Hall added. “He gets that and that’s gonna go a long way. And he’s already doing that as a senior in high school, which I just think shows a level of maturity that he’s ready for that stage because he’s got a great head on his shoulders.”
This story was originally published October 22, 2022 at 6:58 PM.
