Some of New Hampshire’s biggest names in sports joined forces in Manchester to get behind the Hoops for Healing Basketball Dinner, an inaugural event for the Robinson Family Foundation, established by the family of NBA player Duncan Robinson.
In the large ballroom on Saturday, hundreds of items went up for bid in a silent auction as dozens of guests perused or waited in line to get mini-basketballs signed by the many honorary guests.
The event was attended by all sorts of athletes: current NBA players Georges Niang and Dru Smith; legendary St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter; former NHL players Tim Schaller and Chad Ruhwedel; Celtics broadcast analyst and former player Brian Scalabrine; and Concord’s Matt and Luke Bonner.
Hundreds attended the Hoops for Healing event in Manchester on Saturday, Aug. 29, to support the Robinson Family Foundation. Credit: ALEXANDER RAPP / Monitor 
Concord’s Matt Bonner, “The Red Mamba” and Brian Scalabrine “The White Mamba” catch up at the Hoops for Healing event in Manchester. Credit: ALEXANDER RAPP / Monitor 
Luke Bonner, Chris Carpenter and Matt Bonner posed for a photo of New Hampshire athletes while attending the Robinson Family Foundation’s Hoops for Healing event as guests of honor. Credit: ALEXANDER RAPP / Monitor
Later, in a large dinner, Duncan Robinson addressed the crowd of supporters to speak about the foundation and how important it is to rely on each other during hard times
The Robinsons, from New Castle, N.H., lost one of their own after a long battle with schizophrenia, addiction and mental illness. Eli Robinson, Duncan’s younger brother, died by suicide in 2025. The family’s story was featured in an ESPN Sports Center feature and in the Portsmouth Herald, shortly after Eli’s passing.
The family has also acted as caregivers for Duncan Robinson’s father-in-law, Robert, after he survived both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes in 2022.
Since then, the family has embarked on a mission to “support whole-person health by advancing heart health education, mental health awareness and physical well-being,” according to the foundation’s website.
Between a silent auction and a live bidding segment for NBA game tickets, a VIP experience with Seth Myers and getaway trips to Yellowstone and Nantucket, the foundation raised money to advance its efforts.
The foundation has hosted basketball events across the state, with the biggest one becoming a partner of the Portsmouth Serious Sumnmer League this summer.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please dial 988.