Oct. 16 marks the fourth annual Free Throws for Charity event held by the Seattle Community College men's basketball team. Coach and Ballard High School graduate Kyle Gray said he hopes to raise $2,400, meaning the team will have raised more than $10,000 for charities in four years.

Gray, who graduated from Ballard in 1997 and was assistant coach there from 2000 to 2003, said he was inspired by Hurricane Katrina to work with his players to make a positive impact in the world.

"I just wanted to do something where my players would understand there is more to life than basketball and give back to the community," he said.

That first year of the Free Throws for Charity event, the team raised $3,700 for Katrina relief efforts. The charity is different every year, and this year the money will go to the Seattle/King County Coalition for the Homeless.

To raise money, players for the Seattle Community College Storm, who come from all three of Seattle's community colleges, solicit pledges for each free throw they make or ask for a simple donation.

On Oct. 16, the players and coaches will gather at North Seattle Community College and shoot 100 free throws each.

Ballard can take pride in the good work being done by Gray and the Storm because both have strong ties to the neighborhood.

Gray said his family lives here and he has four other siblings who are graduates from or are enrolled in Ballard High School.

Gray is the second coach in the Storm's 10-year existence. The team's first coach, Billy Rodgers, now coaches basketball at Ballard High School.