People all across Kentucky grow up idolizing the UK men’s basketball team. But most of those people will never come closer to the players than a seat in the nosebleeds at Rupp Arena. For some, it would be a dream come true just to talk to those athletes.

A new Atlanta-based company is making that possible, and donating some of the proceeds to the Kentucky Make-a-Wish Foundation in the process.

Famousphone.com allows ordinary people to contact celebrities and athletes in one-on-one phone calls. Company president Adam Harreld has collected a bevy of UK basketball-related talent thanks to a family tie to the program.

Harreld’s father was a student manager for the men’s basketball team during the 1965-66 national runner-up season, opening several connections to former UK athletes. Kenny Walker, Jack Givens, Kyle Macy, Cotton Nash and Larry Conley are just a few former UK greats fans will have an opportunity to call.

“I’ve been involved in sports radio and I’ve always enjoyed interviewing people,” Harreld said. “I thought there might be a market for people who are not part of the media to have a one-on-one conversation with prominent people.”

Prices vary based on the celebrity and how long you want to talk. A five-minute call with Givens or Walker costs $90, and an hour conversation costs $450. Harreld suggested if customers can’t afford a call on their own, they should get a group of friends and split the price. For every call, $10 is donated to the Kentucky Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Once customers have ordered a phone call, the celebrity will contact the customer through e-mail and set up a time for the call.

Both Walker and Givens said their primary motivation for signing on with the company was to interact with UK basketball fans. Givens said people still ask him about the 1978 championship game, in which he scored 41 points to lead the Cats to their fifth national title.

“It’s really not about the money,” Givens said. “It’s just an opportunity to talk with the fans. My daughter signed me up on Facebook, so I get 20 to 30 requests from Kentucky fans a day and I’d rather talk to someone on the phone than sit and type all day. It’s really more about talking to the fans.”

Walker, who played on UK’s 1984 Final Four team, said that in addition to talking to fans, he was excited to give back to the community through the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

“I’m just amazed how people follow our careers, and they probably know more about ourselves than we do,” Walker said. “It’s just like going down memory lane, and it’s a joy to talk to fans.”