Rewrite this title URI basketball team sells coffee for good cause

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) — Some local celebrities worked the counter and drive-thru window at Dunkin’ for Iced Coffee Day.

Members of the University of Rhode Island men’s basketball team served up iced coffees for a good cause, as one dollar for each one sold in Rhode Island and Bristol County, Mass., on Tuesday was donated to Hasbro Children’s Hospital.

The annual fundraiser has helped raise more than $2 million for the hospital since 2010.

Players were also giving out gift cards and Rhody merchandise to promote the basketball program while bringing people into Dunkin’.

Head Coach Archie Miller said events like these help the team build chemistry while interacting with the community.

“For most of these guys, they’ve only been in town for a few days, so it’s a good chance to see the passion that goes into the Rhody program,” Miller said. “This is a good week for us, just kicking off our summer program and to be able to get out here for the afternoon is fun.”

Heading into year two of the Miller era, the student-athletes already have a good grasp on the relationships they’re building in the offseason.

“Just to see how people act outside of the court, just to find their personalities, especially being with the new guys, I experienced it last year so experiencing it with them is just a new thing,” Miller said.

So far, the program has eight new players for next year’s roster. Miller said he’s starting to see things come together.

“Getting over that initial hump of everything for the first time is over with and we have a much more familiarity of how our stuff will work better, make some tweaks some changes to everything that we do,” he explained.