NEW ALBANY, IN, (Dec. 21, 2011) – The Indiana University Southeast men’s basketball team had a new game plan this week. Instead of focusing on stealing balls, they concentrated on giving gifts.

The Grenadiers, led by Head Coach Wiley Brown, partnered with the New Albany-Floyd County Parks Department to provide brand new bicycles to 25 children in need.

“Talk about the biggest smiles you’ve ever seen,” Brown said. “What’s more, I saw big smiles on my players’ faces from helping.”

Members of the IU Southeast men's basketball team provided new bicycles to 25 kids in New Albany.

The bicycles were provided by an anonymous donor and the children were chosen by the parks department. The kids were given their new bikes by Grenadier players at Griffin Street Recreation Center on Tuesday, Dec. 20.

Brown hopes the giveaway will become an annual tradition. He modeled the event on a similar program he participated in at the University of Louisville.

“It’s a good gesture for our young men to give back to our community like that,” Brown said. “I hope when they have families they can continue it on.”

When the Grenadier players left the recreation center after playing Santa, they could already see the impact their donation made on the kids who lived in the neighborhood.

“As we were leaving we saw them out there riding their bikes,” Brown said. “They had their friends with time and were having a great time.”

To read more about the bicycle giveaway, click here to read a story from The News and Tribune.