Pelicans’ Herb Jones takes part in Hale County “Community Day”

Herb Jones embraces his place a role model.

The former Alabama basketball standout and current member of the New Orleans Pelicans took part in a “Community Day” event Friday in his hometown of Greensboro.

“(Jones) is one of those type of guys that, just observing him today he’s very laid back,” said Shalong Hamilton, who helped coordinate the event. “You may miss him if you don’t know who he is because he definitely fits in with the crowd. He’s so humble and he’s not flashy at all and I love that he is so down to earth and willing to give back to people. That is why everyone gravitates to him.”

An estimated 500 people attended the community event for the chance to meet Jones and learn about some under-utilized resources.

A flyer laid out the elements at the core of the event, simply listing the words: “Live, Work, Play”. In addition to food trucks and a kids-zone, there were areas set up for families to community resources such as healthcare, housing and finance.

“Knowing how to handle money and knowing how to save is essential to be a productive citizen in the world. Period,” Hamilton said. “It’s just what we need.

“We’ve received such great, positive feedback from the community already, saying ‘this has been great, it was more than just a picnic, you brought all of these positive resources together’.”

This was the inaugural “Community Day” but Hamilton hopes to make it an annual event for communities around Hale County.