Nov. 20, 2020
JAGUARS OFFENSIVE LINE PROVIDES TURKEYS AND FOOD SUPPLIES TO 500 FAMILIES IN NORTHEAST FLORIDA
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In recognition of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, members of the Jaguars offensive line on 11/20/20 sponsored “Turkey Time with the O-Line” in partnership with Feeding Northeast Florida, CSX and Century Ambulance.
Jaguars offensive linemen Andrew Norwell, Tyler Shatley, Jawaan Taylor, A.J. Cann, Brandon Linder, KC McDermott and Ben Bartch helped provide turkeys and food supplies for 500 pre-selected families.
“Thanksgiving is built for offensive lineman,” said Shatley. “Obviously we all love to eat, but I want everyone in our community to be able to enjoy that time with family. It’s easy to get tunnel vision in 2020 and just focus on me and my family, staying healthy and getting through the season, but there are so many people that aren’t able to work right now and aren’t as fortunate as we are. It’s important to be able to help out.”
“Turkey Time with the O-Line” began in 2019 when Norwell and his Andrew Norwell Foundation alongside his teammates hosted an early Thanksgiving feast for 250 children from the Boys and Girls Club of Northeast Florida to TIAA Bank Field. The players could not be onsite for this year’s giveaway due to COVID-19 protocols, but volunteers distributed Thanksgiving meals on Friday morning at a drive thru in Lot J at TIAA Bank Field, which was sparked by their donation.
“I started my foundation to help block childhood hunger and this event is special,” said Norwell. “The guys coming together, that’s who we are as a unit. We help each other out week in and week out and as professional athletes, we are in a position to give back to the community. We wish we could be there on the front lines.”
According to Feeding Northeast Florida, they are on track to distribute 28 million meals throughout Northeast Florida by the end of 2020, which is a 90 percent increase from last year, a result of the pandemic.
“The holidays are a wonderful time of year and should not be a time of worrying how to feed your family,” said Susan King, president and CEO of Feeding Northeast Florida. “With the effects of COVID-19 still weighing heavily on our community, food insecurity is greater than it ever has been. We are proud to partner with the Jaguars offensive line to not only help meet the everyday needs of our neighbors in Northeast Florida, but to provide the comfort of a holiday meal.”
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