LOUISVILLE, Ky. — You will not find many for passionate University of Louisville athletes than Hailey Van Lith.
The women’s hoops star shows that level of care off the court and put it on display Saturday.
“I have these cool gifts for you. They’re $150 gift cards for you guys to have a shopping spree,” she said as the kids cheered.
The star women’s basketball guard surprised 20 Family Scholar House kids with a day of shopping at JCPenney's Mall St. Matthews location.
The company is doing a cross-country tour to celebrate its 120th birthday.
It is another way Van Lith is using her platform and NIL opportunities to work more with the community, something she’s very proud of.
Van Lith, a junior, said she wants to find more ways to put herself in others’ shoes.
“I'm always very happy to do it because I know when I was their age, I wanted that too. So anytime that I can help make Louisville a better place, I would love to do it. I'm very proud and very honored that people want me to represent them in that way and help give back to the community.”
Van Lith recently received more international exposure during the summer.
She represented the U.S. in the FIBA three-on-three World Cup.
The guard was one of the event’s top scorers.
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