When the Flint water crisis was in the news last year, Titans’ women’s basketball player Chea Taylor knew she had to do something to help the residents of the city get water they could use. She started a crowd-sourcing webpage to collect funds to purchase and deliver water to the beleaguered city.
She contacted men’s basketball player Anton Wilson, who grew up in the city and knew how it affected his family every day. They decided to work together to do what they could to raise awareness and collect bottled water to distribute in Flint.
This moving story is told in “Saving Home Court — Basketball & the Flint Water Crisis,” a six-minute video that was awarded an Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ Michigan Chapter in the Environment category. The 39th annual Michigan Emmy Awards were given out over the weekend.
“It’s very humbling to see our student athletes help out a teammate and a community in great need like Flint,” Detroit Mercy Athletic Director Robert Vowels said. “Like all Detroit Mercy students, they truly are caring, good-hearted individuals who not only make a difference on the field of play and in the classroom, but also in the communities, regardless of where they live. I am very proud of these kids and their willingness to do what was necessary to help the city of Flint.”
It is the school’s third Michigan Emmy, having won for the Titan Court Report in the Sports Program Series category in 2012 and the Legends & Traditions video for Outstanding Documentary (Historical) in 2013.
Good Problem Productions also partnered on those award-winning projects.
Congratulations! Very proud of you. And grateful for what you and all those who helped you did
These students should make all UDM alumni feel proud! Congratulations Titans!