Panthers players give back to Charlotte high school as it deals with grief
They all showed up with blue Panthers shirts and sweat pants on their day off.
The gloves, mulch and paintbrushes were waiting for them. On Tuesday evening, at least 30 Panthers players showed up to Harding University High School’s courtyard to help paint benches and plant flowers at the school.
The goal was to help uplift the students who had lost their principal, Eric Ward, this past September.
The “beautification project,” one of the first in-person community activities by Panthers players since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and even some of the top players were there.
Among the players helping were cornerback Stephon Gilmore, a Rock Hill native; defensive end Brian Burns; linebacker Shaq Thompson; quarterback P.J. Walker and defensive tackle Derrick Brown and his two-year old son Kai Brown, who tried to help, too.
The Panthers’ organization chose Harding, in part, because of its story, and how the school is still dealing with the loss of Ward.
Ward, a father of two, and educator for 25 years, was 46 when he died this past September. The cause of his death has not been shared publicly.
Ward was born in Whiteville and graduated from West Columbus High School in 1993, where he was a standout in track and field. He earned a track and field scholarship to the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.
He was also an avid Panthers fan, Jeremy Cox, Dean of Students at Harding University High, said.
“Right now, if he was here, he would be out here painting and putting down mulch with them,” Cox said. “That’s the type of person he was ... He was always helping everybody.”
Ward was known for his sense of humor, playing pranks, his energy and his love for his students. When he passed away, the students and the faculty were devastated, Cox said.
“This school was his baby,” Cox said. “Long hours, that’s just the type of person he was. He’s truly going to be missed, and we’re going to keep his legacy going.”
Most of the students at Harding had left for the day by the time the players arrived on campus. Some, who were there for after-school activities, watched through windows, took photos and pointed out the players they knew.
“You’re never too good to come out and help,” Burns said when asked how he hoped to inspire the students. “Wherever you go in life, you’re never too good to help anybody.”
The faculty was just as excited.
The Panthers plan to continue to do beautification projects like this across the school district in the coming months.
But Tuesday, it was about Dr. Eric Ward and his students.
“I can just imagine him looking down and seeing his school and where all his students will be tomorrow with this dress up with fresh paint,” Harding University High School interim principal Jane Sutton said, “with excellence occurring right on his grounds, and I know it just warms his heart.”
This story was originally published November 17, 2021 at 10:14 AM.
