Jesuit hoops hosts golf tourney Friday for Team Gleason

Steve Gleason

For the past couple of years, Saints icon Steve Gleason has been a familiar sight in the stands at Jesuit basketball games supporting the Blue Jays during the season and their Mid-City Cyclones youth team in the spring and summer.

Gleason married into the program, so to speak, as his wife, Michelle, has two brothers who played for the Blue Jays and who remain close with Jesuit’s longtime head coach, Chris Jennings.

So now that Gleason is in a battle for his life against Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), the Jesuit hoops program has stepped up with the Team Cyclones/Team Gleason Golf Tournament benefiting the Team Gleason and the Mid-City Cyclones, June 1st at City Park.

“I thought it would be a great opportunity for our young kids as part of our organization to rally around something while teaching the kids about donating to a great cause and providing help for somebody who needs it,” said Cyclones Director Jonathan Hernandez.

“At the same time, we’re doing something great for somebody that showed us support and obviously showed the city of New Orleans support for a long time as well.”

Registration is available online at www. midcitybasketball.com or at the event itself beginning at 11 a.m., with a shotgun start at 1. There will also be an auction featuring signed sports memorabilia from Gleason, Eli Manning, Michael Oher, Craig Steltz and Johnny Giavotella, as well as a Hole in One contest for the chance to win a Chevy Equinox.

For more information, visit midcitybasketball.com or contact Tournament Director Wesley Laurendine at wesleythomas12@yahoo.com or 504.388.4532.

Writer and filmmaker Brian Friedman writes about New Orleans for NolaVie.