SPOKANE, Wash. — With thousands of Spokane-area residents facing the devastation of wildfires that have destroyed nearly 1,000 homes and structures, former Gonzaga players and other Spokane-area athletes are using the platform they built in this community to give back.

Former Gonzaga great Dan Dickau is helping lead that effort.

Dickau, the owner of Shoot360 Spokane, is hosting a basketball clinic Saturday, Aug. 22, at Shoot360 to raise money for families affected by the Spokane Complex fires.

The clinic will feature former Zags Killian Tillie, Anton Watson and Jeremy Jones, along with current Gonzaga women’s guard Teryn Gardner, Boise State great Tyson Degenhart and current Idaho guard Ryan Lafferty — all Spokane-area products.

Dickau said the idea came together quickly after Tillie suggested finding a way to give back.

“The clinic came about because our manager was at dinner with Killian Tillie the other night, and Killian said, ‘Can we do something at the gym to maybe give back in some way?’ And literally within 24 hours, we put this together. Killian’s idea and then the support of our manager and the rest of our coaching staff, we jumped on board and said, ‘Let’s go for it,'” Dickau said. “I’m sure some of the other former Gonzaga players are going to try to stop in.”

The Aug. 22 clinic will feature two sessions: second- through fourth-grade boys and girls from 10 to 11:15 a.m., followed by fifth- through eighth-grade boys and girls from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

The cost is $35, with all proceeds going toward helping families impacted by the fires. Registration is available through Shoot360 Spokane‘s website: www.shoot360spokane.com/clinics

Dickau said the players leading the clinic are donating their time because they simply want to help the community that’s given so much to them.

“With this clinic, those guys aren’t asking to be paid,” Dickau said. “So the money that we generate, we’re going to be able to give back an amount to a reputable foundation, whether it’s the Red Cross, whether it’s another one; we haven’t kind of spotlighted that just yet, but that’s what the plan is. And then we’re also going to have bins set out in our lobby area where people who have slightly used basketball gear, whether it’s shorts, shirts, shoes, a basketball, they can donate it.”

The clinic is about more than basketball. For Dickau, it’s another example of the connection former and current Gonzaga players have built with Spokane.

It’s something that has been said countless times about the city, but moments like this show why so many Gonzaga players continue to feel such a strong connection to Spokane long after their playing days are over.

“Whether it’s myself playing for two years, living here for three in college, or guys like Killian or even guys like Jeremy, who are like me — started somewhere else, came here. They found that this is a place that they absolutely loved. They got connected into the community. And when they were done playing or in between playing stints, this is where they wanted to call home.

“And the fact that these guys have a heart to help others in a time of need also shows a little bit about what Coach Few has really instilled in a lot of guys: You’re just a small piece in something bigger than yourself, and you want to try to help out when possible.”