Lorenzen Wright Visits Family Faced with Tragedy

On April 11, Terron Phillips returned home from his job at an Atlanta warehouse to his three kids who received Hawks ticket vouchers through the Hawks Fast Break for Reading program at school. Not wanting to go out that evening, Phillips took the three kids who were excited to see a Hawks game.

While driving to Philips Arena, Phillips and his three kids were innocently caught in a high-speed police chase and were run off the road. Phillips lost his life in the accident, the two older children suffered minor injuries but the youngest, Deangelo, went to Hughes Spalding Hospital with serious injuries.

After hearing about the tragic accident, Lorenzen Wright decided to pay a visit to the family once Deangelo returned home from the hospital and two days following his sixth birthday.

Wright entered the Phillips house bearing gifts from the team including a donated Compaq computer system, Philips Consumer Electronics stereo system, Hawks goodie bags and scholarships to attend the Hawks summer basketball camps for free.

Wright visited with Deangelo, who is still in a wheelchair with an injured left leg, and his older brother Christopher, signing autographs, taking pictures and helping Deangelo decorate his wheelchair. Before leaving the house, Wright donated $1,000 to the children's mother to help with medical expenses.

Reaching out to the less fortunate has become a habit for Wright, who has regularly donated his time and money to help those in need. Last year, he donated money to an educational fund for a 10-year-old boy in Memphis who was orphaned when his mother passed away.