PACERS: Bender helping New Orleans rebuild
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Bender making his mark by helping New Orleans rebuild from Hurricane Katrina
By Conrad Brunner | Aug. 26, 2008
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Five months before he was forced into premature retirement by balky knees in 2006, Jonathan Bender took the initiative to put together a relief effort that delivered two tractor-trailers filled with donated goods to the victims of Hurricane Katrina in the New Orleans area, including his hometown of Picayune, Miss.
Three years later, he's still giving back.
That initial act of kindness has blossomed into a full-fledged entrepreneurial venture for the former Pacers forward. He owns an investment company that seeks community re-investment opportunities; a construction company that restores flood-ravaged housing; a property management company that leases those properties, targeting displaced residents looking to return to the New Orleans area; and a realty company to help facilitate the sale of those properties to qualified families.
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I know he didn't live up to his potential in the league (because of injuries) but damn he has turned his fortune into a legacy beyond basketball. He's done more for the world than most players will ever dream of doing.