In wake of Brandon Clarke’s death, donors rally around child literacy organization he supported

Brandon Clarke was found dead Tuesday. He was 29. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

(Christian Petersen via Getty Images)

Eight months before his tragic death left many in NBA circles shaken and heartbroken, Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke made one of his final appearances on behalf of the franchise at an elementary school just north of downtown.

Clarke spent the day before his 29th birthday speaking on behalf of ARISE2Read, a Memphis-area non-profit organization dedicated to improving second-grade literacy rates by providing children’s books and one-on-one volunteer tutoring.

A few dozen second graders at KIPP Collegiate Elementary school listened with rapt attention last September 18 as Clarke presented a check for $1,500 and emphasized the importance of learning to read and staying in school. The kids then enthusiastically sang happy birthday to Clarke, approached him for photos or high-fives and scarfed down the cupcakes he brought to share with them.

“What stood out to me was how naturally he interacted with the children and how genuine he was,” La Tonya Mouzon, executive director of ARISE2Read, told Yahoo Sports on Wednesday. “You can tell when someone is saying something scripted versus when someone really means what he’s saying. He looked the children in their eyes and told them that this was something very important, that this was something they should value.”

Clarke was found dead Monday at a home in the Los Angeles area. He was 29. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has not yet determined a cause of death, but NBC4 Los Angeles reported Tuesday that drug paraphernalia was found in the home and that police are investigating the incident as a possible overdose.

As word of Clarke’s death began to spread on Tuesday, basketball fans in Memphis and beyond sought to honor Clarke’s memory by donating to charities that he supported. The campaign picked up momentum when former all-star guard Ja Morant quote-tweeted a post urging Grizzlies fans to rally behind ARISE2Read and then linked to the non-profit.

By early Wednesday afternoon, ARISE2Read had received over 100 donations since Clarke’s death, according to Mouzon. While ARISE2Read declined to estimate how much money those donations were worth, Mouzon said it would normally take the organization up to five weeks to amass what they had received in just 24 hours.

“And on top of that, we’ve been able to get our name out there across the country, which is even more valuable than the funds,” Mouzon said. “We’ve been getting donations from various states across the country as a result of what has happened.”

Connecting with Memphis-area children was clearly an important cause to Clarke, a 2019 Grizzlies first-round pick who spent his entire NBA career with the organization. Last December, Clarke also hosted a holiday celebration at the Buckman Boys & Girls Club, serving food, handing out presents and signing autographs.

ARISE2Read provides nearly 4,000 Memphis-area second graders with a single book every November, December and February and with a bag of books and other activities in May so that their skills stay sharp over the summer. The money donated to ARISE2Read in honor of Clarke will go to buying those books for the children, according to Mouzon.

“We're really grateful to have known Brandon and to have met him and interacted with him with a joint purpose of improving literacy in the city of Memphis,” Mouzon said.