Grizzlies 'Round Town: Community Service Day
Part of the Grizzlies team takes time out from practice to help the local Memphis community.
Grizzlies players Drew Gooden, Brevin Knight, Lorenzen Wright, Wesley Person, Chris Owens, Stromile Swift, Robert Archibald and members of the Grizzlies front office staff joined over 25 student volunteers from the Julia B. Hooks Enhancement Center, an alternative school in the Memphis area, to serve lunch to homeless individuals. View shots from the day.
“The Grizzlies feel an enormous responsibility to serve the families of the Memphis community, especially during the holiday season,” said Grizzlies Senior Director of Community Investment Richard Cohee. “If we can so much as put a smile on someone’s face, we as an organization feel a sense of joy and peace in being part of this giving season.”
The Grizzlies players prepared the meals while the student volunteers served the meals to all who attended the homeless shelter for lunch.
“It feels good to reach out and touch people who would not otherwise have the chance to meet us personally,” said Grizzlies guard Brevin Knight. “I love to reach out and give back to my community.”
Not only did the players enjoy putting on the aprons to prepare home-cooked meals to the homeless, they also enjoyed spending time with the 25 student volunteers, who were amazed by the player’s work ethic and agility to just keep the meals coming to hungry mouths.
“We try to teach our students to be good citizens,” said Dr. Alice Stanback, Social Studies teacher at Julia B. Hooks Enhancement Center. “One of the great American values is giving. We are trying to teach the importance of giving and let them know how blessed they are.”
The Memphis Union Mission is a nonprofit organization that ministers to the spiritual and physical needs of hurting, homeless Memphians by providing food, shelter and clothing, as well as pastoral care and recovery programs. With six locations in Memphis, the Mission serves over 1,575 meals weekly and provides shelter for over 875 homeless Memphians.
“The impact the Memphis Grizzlies are having today is just mostly encouraging the people at the shelter and showing that people within the Grizzlies organization care about the homeless and the Memphis community,” said Steve Carpenter, Director of Public Affairs for the Memphis Union Mission.
In addition, Grizzlies players and staff visited patients and families at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and LeBonheur Children’s Medical Center on Monday afternoon. Jason Williams, Michael Dickerson, Pau Gasol and Mike Batiste met with children at St. Jude. Shane Battier, Gordan Giricek, Cezary Trybanski and Earl Watson provided holiday cheer to patients at LeBonheur Children’s Medical Center.
For information on Grizzlies community programs, visit grizzlies.com. For more information on season tickets, single game tickets and Power Packs-featuring on the court action from some of the most exciting teams in the NBA, visit grizzlies.com or call 1-866-648-HOOP.