Needy Memphis Children Get A Big Assist From Memphis Grizzlies
* -- Memphis Grizzlies Help Feed Hungry Memphis Children
* -- The NBA Franchise Teams Up With Feed The Children
* -- Hundreds of Families Will Receive Care Packages
(Memphis, TN/January 14, 2011) In front of the FedEx Forum, it's probably one of the best handoffs ever made by the Memphis Grizzlies. Players such as Xavier Henry, Mike Conley and Zach Randolph instead of passing basketballs, they're passing boxes of food and essential items for needy Memphis families.
Randolph said, "It's important for us to interact with them and give back and show people we care and we're not selfish and make a lot of money, but we do stuff to give back in the community."
What they're also doing on this makeshift assembly line is teaming up with the Feed the Children organization to feed 12 hundred area families.
Conley said, "We think it's important because we understand the situation we are in and the opportunity we have been given to give back and also some of us have grown up in areas and seen people struggle and we want to give back to those families and make their lives a little easier."
Feed the Children says one in every four children in Memphis lives in poverty, and many organizations that will distribute the food boxes say this help is needed.
Lemar Walker is the Urban Community Ministry in Memphis.
Walker said, "I'm going to distribute it to them and take it to their homes. So they can have a good meal and we're appreciative for what the Grizzlies organization is doing for the community."
Tammy Adolphus works with the Upward Steps Girls Outreach Ministry, which helps families in the Orange Mound area.
Adolphus said, "In every community in Memphis there are children who go without meals. We try to feed them after school. We have an after school program. So we try to make sure everyone has meals."
They are meals for needy children that come with a big assist by the Memphis Grizzlies.
Randolph said, "It's great man to be able to give back and feed the children and make people's day and making people smile and happy. That's what it's about. We're blessed. God put us in this position to give back."
Feed the Children's partner agency, the Boys and Girls Club, identified the recipient families and helped distribute the boxes filled with 25 pounds of food, and a 10 pound box of personal care items.
