Seniors Blair Green and Emma King will be part of a camp at North Laurel High School Saturday. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Kentucky senior basketball player Emma King is from Lincoln County and her hometown/county has not been directly impacted by the recent flooding in eastern Kentucky and she has not had family members directly affected.
However, Lincoln County is part of the 606 — the area’s assigned telephone area code — and King is happy to be part of the 606 Camp at North Laurel High School Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon to raise money for flood relief along with current UK players Blair Greene and Cassidy Rowe along with former Cat Maci Morris, all 606 residents.
“Everybody says 606 girls stick together. Whether they are my people directly or not, I consider them my people,” said King. “I think Kentucky as a whole if something happens to one of us, it happens to us all. I am thankful to be able to use what platform I have to give back to the state and those in need.”
Morris, a Bell County High School graduate, posted on Twitter that “all proceeds will go towards flood relief.” Green, a Harlan County graduate, posted on Twitter that “our hearts go out to those in need” and she wants to help raise money.
Rowe, a 2022 Shelby Valley graduate, had her hometown of Virgie hit extremely hard by the flooding and she spent last Saturday delivering meals and cleaning while she “got to see firsthand the damage that took place in our area,” according to her father, Lonnie Rowe.
King said Green’s mother, Debbie Greene, did a lot of the behind the scenes work to put the camp together. She also said the proceeds were going to the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Crisis Fund because Hazard native Joe Craft and his wife, former United Nations Ambassador Kelly Craft will match every dollar raised for the foundation up to $1.5 million.
King hopes many from her home area will attend the camp for boys and girls in kindergarten through eighth grade. Cost is $40 per player or $60 for two in a family. Registration starts at 8 a.m. Saturday.
“I put it on Facebook. I would love to see a lot of them come to help make an impact for the people of eastern Kentucky,” King said. “This is a very specific target audience we are trying to help and I am just glad I was asked to be a part of it.”
