Four Tulane University fraternities participated in a charity basketball tournament Sunday night, Sept. 14, to raise funds for a scholarship in memory of the late Tulane University Green Wave basketball player Gregg Glenn III.
The bracket-style tournament at Avron B. Fogelman Arena in Devlin Fieldhouse featured Zeta Psi, Phi Gamma Delta, Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Sigma Chi. SAE took home the championship, defeating Fiji in the final game.
Jake Shapiro, a member of the Green Wave basketball team, organized the event. He explained that the team wanted to find a way to honor Glenn after his passing.
“I didn’t really know how to deal with this when it first started, and a lot of my teammates kind of shared that same process,” Shapiro said. “I knew everyone wanted to do something to honor him, and that would be a good way to channel how we were feeling.”
The tournament tickets cost $10 each, and the event lasted about two hours. It raised nearly $10,000 with donations still being accepted for another week. Several local businesses donated prizes for the event, including Zee’s Pizza, Lucy Boone’s and Shug’s Bagels. All proceeds will go to the Keep Plugging Youth Foundation, which is establishing the Gregg Glenn Scholarship Foundation. The scholarship will support an underprivileged student from Pompano, Florida — Glenn’s hometown — to attend college.
Tulane basketball coaches and players attended the game. Current players Rowan Brumbaugh and Percy Daniels coached some of the fraternity teams, and head coach Ron Hunter gave a student $200 after he sank three free throws to send Zeta Psi vs. SAE into overtime.
The games were intense and low-scoring. Everyone played really hard, and some pride was on the line. While the basketball might not have matched the level of a regular Tulane game, the crowd enjoyed watching students they recognized from around campus compete.
Glenn was a captain on the basketball team, known for his positive attitude and ability to lift his teammates.
“I’ve never met anyone in my life who exuded such positivity, such joy in everything they did,” Shapiro said. “He was a person who you were never upset to be around, and whenever you were having a bad day, he was a person you could look at and he would make you happy.”
The Gregg Glenn Scholarship Foundation will ensure Glenn’s name and legacy continue to help young people pursue their educational goals.