Justin Hardy, whose FBS career receptions record is about to be broken by former East Carolina teammate Zay Jones, will be on hand at the Pirates’ game against Navy on Saturday to help the American Red Cross in its relief effort for victims of Hurricane Matthew. The Atlanta Falcons’ wide receiver will be signing autographs at 2:30 p.m. at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium before Saturday’s game. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. Money raised by Hardy’s appearance will help the Red Cross continue its recovery effort for those affected by the storm that devastated our state on Oct. 8. The Red Cross has provided more than 35,000 overnight stays in shelters, served nearly 825,000 meals and snacks and distributed about 15,000 clean-up kits to date. “Across Northeastern NC, community members have rallied around our neighbors who’ve been affected by Hurricane Matthew,” said Cally Edwards, executive director of the Red Cross in Northeastern NC. “We are incredibly grateful of East Carolina University and Justin Hardy for their support, which will allow us to continue to serve residents in need.” For more information about the game, Hardy’s appearance or the Red Cross relief effort, click on www.ecupirates.com. Though only coincidence because Hardy’s current team is on its bye week, the former Pirate star’s presence at Saturday’s game could turn out to be timely if Jones gets the eight catches he needs to break Hardy’s career record of 367 receptions. Jones currently leads the nation with an average of 13.9 receptions per game.
