It’s tacky to take someone for granted. Some things need to be said, even if they don’t make for stop-the-presses moments.
Sometimes the obvious needs to be stated: We’re very fortunate that Danny Manning, who could have lived and worked just about anywhere he desired, chose Lawrence.
For one thing, Manning helps to make the Kansas University basketball team better by facilitating the growth of young post players as basketball players and men. He can show them moves that worked for him in college and the NBA, with healthy knees and after injuries forced him to become even more clever as a player. Plus, the players can go to school on how he conducts himself as a man, husband and father.
A better basketball team, especially around here, means a happier community. If that’s all Manning did, he’d be an asset to Lawrence. Nobody would criticize him or think less of him if he took that path of least resistance, burning a trail from work to home and back.
Not the case. Quietly, Manning and wife Julie have done a great deal for local charities that benefit those less fortunate.
Now, Danny is lending his name to an event and helping to promote it for the benefit of three charities he and associate athletic director Mike Harrity selected after putting their heads together: Lawrence Community Shelter, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Children’s Miracle Network, which raises funds for children’s hospitals.
The event: In the Lane with Danny Manning, a bowling fundraiser. The date: Aug. 15. The place: Royal Crest Lanes. The time: 6 p.m. to 8:30. The place to register: www.dannymanning.org. The cost: $75.
Manning’s a smart guy, so it’s no surprise he didn’t add yet another golf tournament to the crowded landscape. Instead, he chose a night of bowling. The setting creates better access to conversing with the grounded Manning. Plus, the reasonable cost does not mean only the wealthy are welcome. And let’s face the facts: Bowling shoes are way cooler than golf shoes.
Anything Manning puts his name on, be it the back of a jersey or a benefit, he pours his heart into.
Not all the trappings of celebrity thrill Danny, but the ability to use his name to help those who need it does.
“Absolutely,” Manning said by phone while driving home from a recruiting trip in Kansas City. “I feel very fortunate to have led the life I’ve been able to lead, just being able to be a part of the community. For me, this is home. I’ve always done different things that I’ve felt were charitable in my own way without trying to garner a lot of attention for it, just doing it because I want to do it.”
This time, he’s lending his name.
“Hopefully, my name will bring more people out, the charities can benefit, and it makes it all the better,” he said.
Again, Manning could have lived anywhere. Why Lawrence?
“It’s home,” he said. “That’s the best way to describe it. I went to high school here for a year and to college for four years. I met my wife here and have tons of family living here, a lot of friends. And it’s a great place to raise your kids.”
The Mannings — mom, dad, Taylor and Evan — do their part to make Lawrence an even better place to live.
