<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Basketball can wait. Survivors of Hurricane Katrina can't. That was Jonathan Bender's message Wednesday as the Indiana Pacers forward helped load trucks with supplies to take to his hometown of Picayune, Miss. "This has basically been my life since it happened," said Bender, who thanked people as they dropped off supplies at Greenwood Park Mall, Lafayette Square Mall and Conseco Fieldhouse. "I was looking at my hometown and hearing people talk about how bad it is down there. I can't let people suffer down there. I dribbled the ball in those neighborhoods growing up. I had to do something and put responsibility on my back and take charge." Members of the Pacers' organization, along with Bender's sister, Valerie McDowell, and his chef, Derrick Franklin, helped load trucks. Donors received free tickets to tonight's Indiana Fever playoff game. Supplies such as water and diapers can be dropped off at the three locations through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Bender has rented six, two-bedroom apartments in Indianapolis for about 20 family members. "Everybody is calling me and telling me they don't have a home," he said. "Everybody has nothing. When your money runs out at the hotel, you're stuck. What do you do? You call the friend you have. I have to help these people."</div> Source
