UConn Basketball Manager Lyddy Raising Money For A Good Cause

By Andy Hutchison

Kyle Lyddy of Newtown recently traveled to Detroit with the University of Connecticut men’s basketball team for the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four.

Lyddy, a senior at UConn, is a manager for the team and has the opportunity to be a part of the excitement that surrounds a nationally ranked top-level collegiate team.

Lyddy also is part of the important behind-the-scenes efforts of the Huskies, including a reach-out program called “Husky Sport” that benefits inner city students — encouraging them to live healthy lifestyles and to succeed in the classroom.

Lyddy’s a service learning class and UConn players go into Hartford to act as mentors for the students.

“We attempt to teach these kids how to live healthy lifestyles, through sport, nutrition, and perseverance in the classroom,” Lyddy said.

The class is running a fundraiser, in conjunction with former Husky Emeka Okafor’s “One Million African Lives” program, in hopes of raising $20,000 by May 1. Okafor, now a professional basketball player in Charlotte, was a part of UConn’s kinesiology program and a few years ago donated $250,000 to the program.

On May 1 a “Walk and Raise” event well be held in Hartford and Lyddy said the goal is to raise that $20,000 to support Okafor’s program, which helps hospitals in Africa receive safe blood transfusions.

Students from Clark Elementary School in Hartford have pledged to read 10,000 books, Lyddy said, and for each book that is read, the UConn organization will raise at least $1. Lyddy said community support is welcomed.

“It is a reading challenge for the kids and a fundraising challenge for us,” said Lyddy, adding that people may donate $5 by texting “HIV” to 90999 or by visiting the website huskysport.uconn.edu to donate and to learn more about the initiative.