Celtics'€™ Brown lending support to YouthTruth

A back-to-school party this Saturday hosted by YouthTruth Inc. will get a little help from Boston Celtics basketball star P.J. Brown.

Brown is lending his support to the Back-to-School Lock-In Bash at the Northshore Harbor Center through his group, The P.J. & Dee Brown Foundation. He and his wife, Dee, started the foundation about five years ago, and their motto, “Going the extra mile for a child,” states its mission clearly.

“I wanted to see if I give kids a leg up,” said Brown. “YouthTruth is dedicated to helping kids in tough situations improve their lives, so I wanted to get involved.”

Originally from Winnfield, Brown played college ball at Louisiana Tech. He has lived in Slidell during the off-season for about 15 years, after he married Dee, who was born and raised here. He joined the pros in 1993 and has won several sportsmanship awards over the years for ethical behavior, fair play and integrity on the court.

His prize money often goes back into the foundation for charitable events all over the country. Last November, he helped Feed the Children distribute boxes of food, personal care items and prescription drug discount cards in New Orleans. Brown also tries to involve each of his four children, ages 6 to 18, in giving back to the community, and they often join him for various events, such as toy and food drives.

“I’m trying to raise them to be humble and not to take anything for granted,” he said.

Brown is expected to make an appearance at Saturday’s event, which runs from 8 p.m. to midnight, and the first 100 people to arrive will get an autographed picture of the basketball star.

The event will also feature a live DJ, karaoke, interactive games from the Best Buy Geek Squad, snack concessions and back-to-school giveaways. Admission is $10, and tickets may be purchased at the door or by calling 639-8040.