Kentucky Basketball team volunteers at Lexington Rescue Mission Summer Party

Summer workouts are obviously a huge priority for the Kentucky Basketball team right now, but so is connecting with Big Blue Nation. On Thursday, the team visited the Lexington Rescue Mission’s summer party to bring some smiles to fans’ faces — and entertain them with a water balloon fight.

Before the water hijinks began, the team played pickup with the rescue mission’s guests, served ice cream, signed autographs, and posed for pictures. As Lexington’s own Jasper Johnson told BBN Tonight, it was good for the team to get out and meet some fans who might not otherwise get to see them in person.

“Really nice. A couple of people have come up to me and said that quote, ‘KY until I die,'” Johnson said, referring to his statement when he committed to Kentucky in September 2024. “It’s great how many fans we really have, and even though some fans are not as fortunate as we are, they still really care about us. It’s a great opportunity to be able to come, give back to them and hear their stories and stuff, and talk to them. They may not be able to meet players or come to a game, but they still tap in and watch and care about our lives and stuff. It’s fun.”

The Lexington Rescue Mission offers food, clothing, housing assistance, case management, mentoring, and help for the homeless and people reentering the community after incarceration. Laura Carr, executive director of the Lexington Rescue Mission, said the team’s visit boosted morale in more ways than one.

“We wanted to have fun and provide some relief for our guests who are struggling with homelessness, who are on the streets in this heat every day, but also just to bring some hope and joy because sometimes it’s really hard if you’re struggling day to day, but having the stars of our city here to celebrate and just have some fun together helps our guests to know that they’re valued.”

Those guests also got to see the team take aim at each other during a water balloon fight. Braydon Hawthorne took cover inside one of the buildings, but Brett Rybak, Kentucky’s Director of Player Development, wasn’t as lucky, getting a few balloons in the back courtesy of Kam Williams. That’s nothing compared to what Jayden Quaintance had to deal with. Malachi Moreno and Mo Dioubate gave the big man an early birthday “present” by dumping a large Tupperware container of water on his back. Happy 18th birthday, Jayden!

Check out the video below courtesy of BBN Tonight, and pictures from Chet White.

“You know it’s more than just basketball when you're wearing the Kentucky brand on your chest.”

More from @KentuckyMBB at Lexington Rescue Mission:https://t.co/lWD816tHEI pic.twitter.com/eQij73c0Wr

— Sierra Newton (@SoFlossieWrites) July 11, 2025