DAPHNE, Ala. — Approximately 350 people attended Mercy Medical’s “Hoops of Hope” charitable evening Tuesday night at the Daphne Civic Center, with a large portion being Lousiana State University alumni and fans who came to meet former men’s basketball coach and featured speaker Dale Brown.

Funds raised at the event will be used to continue Mercy’s in-home pediatric, hospice and charity care, officials said.

“The ‘Hoops of Hope’ event showed strong support from the community and although we don’t have final numbers, we are really excited about the amount of donations and support for the event supporting pediatric home care, hospice and charity care,” Mercy communication project manager Cecilia Mace said.

“Our speaker, Dale Brown, waived his fee as a donation to Mercy Medical, and spoke passionately about Mercy's mission, values and how important it is for the community to support Mercy’s ministry,” Mace said.

The former Tiger coach spoke briefly about the importance of staying positive in the face of adversity.

The man who spent years motivating young men in locker rooms to prepare for battles on the courts charged up those in attendance with spirited words of action and determination.

His message was that “We are all in this together.” No matter what obstacles are present, they can be overcome with teamwork, he said.

“Anything is possible. We are all equal parts to a greater whole and we need to work together.”

Brown also shared about the importance of community members staying involved to maintain quality of life.

“We have to get involved,” he said. “The only times we’ve accomplished anything is when we’ve worked together as brothers and sisters.”

The Civic Center was decorated with a sports theme to follow the evening’s featured speaker; a giant blow-up plastic basketball hung from the ceiling.

In keeping suit, members of Bayside Academy’s boys basketball team were present, dribbling basketballs for charity.

“We’re here to help raise money,” Bayside freshman Nelson Newman said.

Tuesday’s event included a silent auction featuring a signed, size-23 shoe worn by four-time NBA champion and three-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Shaquille O’Neal, reportedly valued at around $5,000.

Other items included tickets to sporting events and trips as well as original paintings.

As LSU’s men’s basketball coach for 25 years, Brown appeared in 15 consecutive NCAA postseason tournaments and is the second winningest coach in Southeastern Conference history behind University of Kentucky’s legendary Adolph Rupp.

Some of Brown’s career achievements include:

<104 of Brown’s 160 players earned their college degrees and LSU attendees for four years graduated at an 84 percent rate.