How a forgotten basketball hoop impacted a New Bedford neighborhood

Mahatma Gandhi, the once great leader of India, once said, “Be the change you wish to see in the World.” It’s straight forward advice. In a world of social media activism, there are still amazing citizens that act to make a positive change in their community.

On June 29th, Mike Herren, a former basketball star at Durfee High School and Jarrod Levesque, assembled a basketball hoop on Summer and Durfee streets in the central part of New Bedford. They had noticed a picture that surfaced on Facebook of a milk crate and piece of plywood set up as a hoop. They acted and set up a new hoop for the kids in the area. Jarrod used the hoop that was sitting in his basement for the last 22 years. Mike Herren, Jarrod Levesque and Nick Corriea quickly put up the brand new hoop and the neighborhood kids were ecstatic. Pictures below tell the story …