Harlem Globetrotter El Gato Melendez visited with Bruce Knight in the McLeod Pediatric Intensive Care Unit on March 13.

With a basketball spinning on his finger, world famous Harlem Globetrotter Orlando “El Gato” Melendez visited pediatric patients at the McLeod Children’s Hospital on March 13 promoting the team’s Smile Patrol™.

The Globetrotters’ Smile Patrol™ program is designed to brighten the day and lift the spirits of hospitalized children. The Globetrotters visit more than 100 children’s hospitals annually, with star players sharing laughs, taking pictures, signing autographs, and displaying their amazing ball handling skills.

Melendez is the first and only Puerto Rican-born player to ever play for the Harlem Globetrotters. He played his senior season of high school basketball in Marion, North Carolina, and went on to play college basketball for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, where he appeared in Final Fours in 1998 and 2000.