Parker

Parker

Clinton native and former National Football League player Willie Parker, through his non-profit 39 Legends Foundation, is having a turkey giveaway at three different locations this Sunday, Nov. 22.

The locations will be at 12:30 p.m. at Lisbon Street Missionary Baptist Church; at 2 p.m. at Royal Lane Apartments; and then at 4 p.m. at Dogwood Circle Apartments.

“Giving back to my community is something that has always been very important to me,” Parker stated. “Clinton is my hometown and I still have many friends and family living in the area. The opportunity to give back to the community that raised you is a blessing and a privilege.”

Parker’s non-profit 39 Legends Foundation focuses on inner city youth athletes and operates football camps in the Raleigh-Durham area and others. Parker plans to run one in Pittsburgh early next year and Clinton sometime next year.

“He’s just giving back his time back to the community,” 39 Legends board member Janell Panos stated. “He also does some charities and this year he’s focusing on turkey giveaways. Last year he partnered up with organizations that focused on disadvantaged inner city youth. He partnered up with a local radio station in Raleigh-Durham and provided Christmas gifts to disadvantaged youth.”

Parker went to Clinton High School and played football and ran track before going on to play college football at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and signed as an undrafted free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He became a two-time Super Bowl champion.

“It was just something that was on his heart,” Panos said of Parker’s turkey giveaway. “He wanted to do something to give back to people in his hometown and he knows that during the pandemic there’s a lot of people who have lost jobs and there’s people that are suffering a little more this year. He knows that holidays are the times that people come together and if he can help out he would want to help out with giving food to families during the Thanksgiving holidays. “

“I feel that it’s awesome that he’s giving back. I feel that it’s great to see a successful person to not forget about their community or where they come from, which is Clinton, and to also think about families that are less fortunate,” she added.

The turkey supply is limited and the birds will be given away on a first-come, first-served basis.

Brendaly Vega Davis can be reached at 910-592-8137 ext. 2588.