Hoops for Hope: LSU Heath New Orleans Resident Physicians Donate Basketballs and Goals to NOLA Youth During COVID-19 Pandemic
Leslie Capo, Director of Information Services
Two LSU School of Medicine residents, along with a medical student at Brown University,
founded the Drive and Dish Foundation. It's a non-profit raising funds to buy and
deliver basketballs and goals to New Orleans youth to encourage safe recreation and
play during COVID-19.
“Growing up, playing sports was more than a hobby; it was an opportunity to mentally
decompress and to escape my reality,” says Michael Okoronkwo, MD, LSU Health New Orleans
School of Medicine Class of 2019 and Drive and Dish Founder. “This brought me closer
to personal peace and purpose. As COVID-19 has impacted all of us, I couldn't help
but think of the New Orleans area youth who didn't have access to these benefits of
sports activity because of COVID-19. This was my inspiration for creating Drive and
Dish.”
In the safety of their own driveways or backyards, New Orleans youth can remain physically
and mentally well with the donated equipment.
“As lifelong New Orleans residents, former athletes, and physicians, we understand
the impact that sport has on both physical and mental health,” says Keyana F. Varnado,
MD, LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine Class of 2019 and Drive and Dish Founder.
“As LSU Health New Orleans medical students serving as leaders of LSU Tiger Cubs and
LSU Student National Medical Association (SNMA) via the school's Office of Diversity
and Community Engagement, we learned firsthand that community engagement and medicine
go hand in hand. We are grateful for the leadership, resilience, and innovation we
have seen throughout the global crisis of COVID-19, and we are using Drive and Dish
to further support our NOLA community and one of its most important populations.”
Why call it Drive and Dish?
“Drive and Dish are popular terms in basketball lingo and necessary actions to score/make
a goal,” explains Dr. Varnado, who is now a resident in LSU Health New Orleans' Surgery
Residency Program. “For us, each time we have the opportunity to deliver a goal to
a kid or family, we score! In the setting of COVID-19 we are ‘driving' and ‘dishing'
out goals to youth and families around New Orleans because it's not safe to host mass
pickups. These two elements gave us the inspiration to name our campaign Drive and
Dish!”
The young doctors in training delivered seven goals during their first week of fundraising.
One of them was to a family who recently had their basketball goal stolen and couldn't
afford another one.
“The kids have been excited, and the parents/caregivers have expressed how grateful
they are,” Varnado says. “Yesterday, I called a family to alert them that they would
receive a goal, and you could just hear the change in their voices. Some of these
families wanted basketball goals even before COVID-19, but their value is certainly
even greater now that our access to safe recreational spaces is limited.”
“It was such a blessing and a fulfilling experience to bring joy to families to help
them get through this difficult time,” says Stephen Igwe, LSU Health New Orleans School
of Medicine Class of 2022 and Drive and Dish volunteer. “My greatest reward was seeing
the broad smiles on the faces on each family that received the basketball and goal.
I am inspired by my colleagues' leadership and the resilience of the people of New
Orleans.”
Requests shot up after Mayor LaToya Cantrell shared the Dish and Drive campaign on
her social media channels.
“Yesterday, we received a message from a mother whose son has a psychiatric diagnosis
and before COVID-19 played basketball at local parks as a coping mechanism,” says
Varnado. “The personal experiences of these families highlight the importance of Drive
and Dish and motivate us to keep raising awareness.”
The Drive and Dish volunteers are also motivated to keep raising funds to fulfill
more requests. Each goal costs about $80. They have been purchasing the equipment
from local stores and businesses.
Dr. Okoronkwo, who is transitioning from the LSU Health New Orleans Internal Medicine
Residency Program to the LSU Health New Orleans Emergency Medicine Residency Program
July 1, says, “I know firsthand the value sports provides as a tool of overall wellness
for youth. We want to fulfill every goal request we receive, but we need the support
of independent donors, community organizations, and governmental partners to complete
this goal.”
If you would like to support Drive and Dish, you can donate via GoFundMe at gf.me/u/xyxggg, Venmo: @driveanddish, or CashApp: $driveanddish. Visit the Drive and Dish website
at driveanddish.org to learn how to receive a basketball goal.