Christian McCaffrey, Shaq Thompson among Panthers investing in community police relations
For the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Charlotte, the past few months have been the most unique and constantly changing time that the Clubs have experienced.
Similar to many organizations around the world, capacity has been reduced to just 50 percent, four of eight Clubs are currently open and restrictions have had to increase so children can still have a safe place to spend their time.
Providing the same level of care has required plenty of creativity (assigned basketballs and social-distancing activities). The recent demonstrations and movement against racial inequality and the involvement and focus on police have also caused new conversations to arise in an organization where police officers often visit.
Earlier this week, Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey announced that he is teaming up with linebacker Shaq Thompson through the “22 Together” program that will help provide sports to underserved youth in partnership with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department’s Police Activities League (PAL). The program is just another of Panthers’ players recent efforts to give back to the community.
McCaffrey also started “22 and You” earlier this offseason to give back to front-line workers in hospitals in the Carolinas and Denver, his hometown.
“22 Together” will partly focus on providing free flag football and cheerleading programs that the Clubs have previously had in the fall. Support and mentorship from community leaders, including the police department, will also be part of the initiative.
“Our kids are coming into the clubs now with a lot of questions about why all this is going on, and it gives my staff, the professionals that work with the Boys & Girls Club, an opportunity to have a conversation with kids about the positive things that both the police and the community are doing,” Marty Clary, Executive Director of The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Charlotte, said to The Observer. “It’s unfortunate that some people are using this as a negative platform to do things that they shouldn’t be doing.”
Details of the program are still being worked out and there even some uncertainty if flag football and cheerleading programs will be able to take place due the coronavirus. CMPD declined to comment further on the program outside of a statement from Captain Tonya Arrington.
“The Police Athletic League of Charlotte (PAL) is a program we’re all very proud of. The reality is that we need funding to continue supporting it, and the kids who can benefit most from participating can’t afford the fee to sign up,” Arrington said. “With the support of Christian, Shaq, and 22 Together, we can now reach more kids and, through them, have an even broader impact on our community, including for our officers who gain much from their experiences as mentors and coaches.”
The foundation’s decision to work with CMPD comes at a time when all eyes are on departments across the country for their handling of recent demonstrations and police brutality.
Working with the police department isn’t something that is new for the Boys & Girls Club. Officers often come by the Clubs to play basketball, ping pong or just interact with the kids.
“The obvious thing is that they get to connect to a real person with a uniform and a badge and see that people are all (that) they are,” Clary said. “Even the friends and family that they associate with policemen are real people that have real feelings and attitudes and appreciate them as a kid, and care about them as a kid.”
Earlier this month, members of the the Panthers’ Player Impact Committee spoke on how they wanted to help increase voter registration and improve police-community relations.
Thompson and safety Juston Burris were part of a group that met with Charlotte Police Chief Kerr Putney earlier this month to discuss methods to create change. Among the ideas were having more people of color on the Citizens Review Board, improving education and bridging the gap between the police officers and the community.
This week the Players Impact Committee announced that in partnership with Lenovo they would be donating 600 Google Chromebooks to students in Richmond and Columbus Counties, areas of the state most in need of help.
“One of the issues in the Carolinas was little Black and Brown boys struggled with reading efficiency,” linebacker Andre Smith said of the donation.
Increasing knowledge and understanding, while improving relations has been at forefront of action by Panthers players in recent weeks. And seeing two of the Panthers’ most prominent players making efforts to continue to help in police-community relations and giving children opportunities matters.
“The kids look at this as, ‘Wow, somebody really does care about me and this is a really important person that really cares about me, I must be worth it,’ ” Clary said. “It’s a great thing for the kids and it’s good exposure for the Boys & Girls Clubs and organizations. Shaq and Christian think enough of our organization to have confidence in us, and we’re gonna perform for the kids that need us.”
More information can be found at https://kindnesswins.org/22-together/ and https://www.salvationarmycarolinas.org/bgccharlotte/
