Earl Monroe helps extend legacy of WSSU's 'Big House' Gaines

ADVANCE, N.C. -- Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, as busy now as ever because of his career in the film and entertainment business, always finds time to honor the late Big House Gaines.

Monroe was at Oak Valley Golf Club on Friday, swinging his clubs in the Big House Gaines Scholarship Fund Tournament. And he had three former teammates from Winston-Salem State's 1967 Division II championship basketball team with him.

"Quite frankly, we can't do enough to honor coach Gaines," said Monroe, 66. "I always make time to come back for this because it's something Big House always stressed to us and that was getting your education."

Three others from the national-title team — Eugene Smiley, Ernest Brown and Johnny Latham — also attended the fundraiser organized by the Reynolda Rotary Club.

The tournament, in its sixth year, raised more than $10,000 on Friday, proceeds that will go toward a college scholarship for a student from Cook Elementary School. The first scholarship recipient selected six years ago, as a fifth-grader at Cook, will enroll at Winston-Salem State in 2012.


Sorry I missed this ya'll, but Earl still looks great for his age--66.

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