For Anita Demps, the decision to volunteer time to help U.S. veterans is partly a personal one. Demps, the wife of New Orleans GM Dell Demps, comes from a military family, with her father, brother and two uncles having served in the armed forces. In addition, Dell’s father served in the Navy and currently resides in a veterans hospital in Palo Alto, Calif.
On Saturday morning, Anita and a group of fellow wives and girlfriends of Pelicans players, coaches and front-office staff devoted their time at the brand-new Veterans Affairs Medical Center near downtown New Orleans. Each member of the Pelicans group escorted a local veteran or homeless person – some were both – as they received assistance at the annual “Stand Down” event, which provides a wide range of benefits to attendees.