It’s Christmas in August for five charities, courtesy of Kansas University’s men’s basketball team.

The 2001-02 Jayhawks raised $65,898 for Lawrence’s Salvation Army, Boys and Girls Club and Big Brothers and Sisters; Nebraska’s Girls and Boys Town; and Camdenton R III Foundation of Camdenton, Mo.

KU administrative assistant C.B. McGrath made the rounds delivering checks to the Lawrence charities Wednesday afternoon after mailing a pair of checks to the out-of-state charities.

Kansas’ players raised the money last school year by selling autographed basketballs on KUstore.com.

“We have so many requests for basketballs, this is a way to get basketballs to fans and also do some good,” McGrath said. “Our seniors, underclassmen and coach think this is very important. It benefits a lot of people and is something the guys yearly want to do.”

The seniors and KU coach Roy Williams annually pick the charities.

Camdenton, Mo., is the home of former Jayhawk Jeff Carey. As far as the Nebraska charity, Williams was touched by work of Nebraska’s Girls and Boys Town after speaking at a group function last year in Boys Town, Neb.