Rowan Kavner
VENICE, Calif. – Some of the Clippers players remember what it was like not having everything others had growing up.
“I feel like a rookie playing his first game just getting back into the swing of things,” Crawford said before the game.
Crawford joked afterward that those 19 minutes felt like 35 minutes, but he also said he’s a big picture guy and knows that this is the time he needs to take advantage of to find his rhythm before the playoffs.
It’s part of what makes giving back during the holidays special for them, and that’s exactly what they did at the 27th annual Clippers “Teamwork at the Table” Thanksgiving event, passing out food, clothing and books to local families in need at the St. Joseph Center.
“This is my favorite holiday, because it’s about what you’re thankful for,” said Josh Smith. “Being able to join with the military and my teammates, this is very special, because growing up I didn’t have a lot. Being able to make it and being able to dish it back out and give to the needy is very important.”
Smith said it’s events such as Monday’s which show what making it to the NBA is all about. Smith joined DeAndre Jordan and Lance Stephenson in passing out full Thanksgiving turkeys and food baskets to the families in attendance.
“I remember days where I was growing up and my parents sometimes didn’t have the right food for Thanksgiving,” Stephenson said. “We’d always have to invite my whole family over and we had to put it all together. Now, I’m fortunate to give back and help others.”
For the ninth year, the Clippers partnered with Ralphs and Food 4 Less, as well as members of the U.S. Military as part of the NBA Hoops for Troops program, to team up for the event. The Teamwork for the Table event is the culmination of the Clippers’ annual food and clothing drive, and it’s made possible by the efforts of the Clippers’ families, season ticket holders, fans, corporate partners and the L.A. Clippers Foundation.
Clippers president of business operations Gillian Zucker said days like Monday are “hugely important” to the organization, and she hopes the event can lift spirits while bringing happiness to the community.
“A big part of what the Clippers and Clippers Foundation are all about is inspiring,” Zucker said. “Certainly, we get our inspiration from the community, so days like today where we get to go out and give something back, we actually get more than we give.”
In addition to food items, the Clippers provided clothing and books to the families. Ralph’s community relations manager Vanessa Rosales said roughly 350 meals were passed out in total, as the Teamwork at the Table event kicked off their Season of Giving.
“They’re getting the whole turkey and the complete meal – turkey, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, green beans, canned corn, you name it,” Rosales said. “We like to serve the communities where we work and live…and it only makes sense to join with an organization like the Clippers who have the same values we do.”
The St. Joseph Center is a non-profit social service agency helping more than 6,500 individuals annually. Its mission is to provide working families, as well as homeless men, women and children, with the resources and tools to become productive and self-supporting members of the community.
The event took place at St. Joseph’s main office in Venice, and Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum, executive director at the St. Joseph Center, said more than 400 people were in attendance to pick up their Thanksgiving meals.
“We serve over 2,500 families annually through our food pantry, so families that are here are families that rely on our food pantry to make ends meet,” she said. “They’ve been here for hours just waiting to meet the Clippers and get items they really need to have a great Thanksgiving.”
