"Dr. Martin Luther King embodies the feeling of love and loving one another," said Chris Carter, who played for the Friars from 2009 until 2012 and on Monday was serving up chicken and collard greens at St. Patrick's soup kitchen in Providence. "He of all people would appreciate [feeding people] on a day dedicated to him."
PROVIDENCE — Joe Hassett grew up playing basketball at St. Patrick's School on Smith Street. He was a star at Providence College, and he played in the NBA for six years during the late 1970s and early '80s.
On Monday, Hassett was one of more than a dozen former Providence College Friars who served Dr. Martin Luther King's favorite meal — chicken and collard greens — to about 150 individuals at St. Patrick's soup kitchen.
At 6 feet, 5 inches, Hassett still looks every bit the basketball star. As he bused tables at the school, he reminisced about playing at St. Patrick's as a young boy. His father, Joe Hassett Sr., coached basketball at the school and has a court named after him.
"I'm getting goose bumps being here," he said, looking at the old basketball court in the basement. "We never lost a game here."
Hassett went on to play guard for Providence College before he was recruited by the Seattle SuperSonics in 1977. When asked, he shows visitors his ring, won during the Sonics' 1979 championship season.
"This is where it all started for me," he said. "One of the best things that Providence College has done is to give back."
Harold Starks is the founder of the Friends of Friars Basketball, a nonprofit that began as a way to bring former players together and has since evolved into a community-service organization.
"We started out with a golf outing," he said Monday. "We made some money, and now we want to give back to the community."
Last winter, the group put together a Thanksgiving meal for five families at Sojourner House, a home for domestic violence victims in Providence. Starks now hopes the MLK lunch at St. Patrick's becomes an annual tradition.
Chris Carter, who played for the Friars from 2009 until 2012, said the MLK meal is a way for the Friars to return the loyalty and support of the Smith Hill neighborhood.
"Dr. Martin Luther King embodies the feeling of love and loving one another," he said. "He of all people would appreciate [feeding people] on a day dedicated to him."
Dave Kipfer, Class of 1987, said this is a great way for the players to "express their gratitude to the friends and family" who have always been part of the Friars' fan club.
"Over the years," he said, "I've grown more attached to PC. They are still my friends today."
The hot meal, complete with warm chocolate chip cookies, was a welcome reprieve for many of the men and women at the school yesterday.
Linda Ricci, who lives in Washington Park, said she once worked at PC and followed both the girls' and boys' basketball teams closely.
"It's nice to meet some of the players," she said.
"We appreciate it," said another woman sitting next to Ricci. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."
— lborg@providencejournal.com
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On Twitter: @lborgprojocom