Akron native, Revere grad Larry Nance Jr. announces program addressing food insecurity
Larry Nance Jr., an Akron native and Revere High School grad who played with the Cleveland Cavaliers for four seasons, is extending his community outreach to his new home playing for the NBA's New Orleans Pelicans.
The son of NBA great Larry Nance — a three-time NBA All-Star who won the inaugural NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 1984 — posted on X (formerly Twitter) about a program he plans to launch to help address food insecurity in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Let’s make a difference ❤️ pic.twitter.com/eTJNWG9swL
— Larry Nance (@Larrydn22) November 20, 2023
“Did you know that New Orleans has the second highest rate of food insecurity of any city in the U.S.?” Nance Jr. writes in the post. “Did you know that 1 in 7 people in New Orleans experiences a lack of food? Did you know that number jumps to 1 in every 4 when the demographic is children?”
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Nance Jr. announced in the post that he will launch a program on Nov. 30 at Smoothie King Center with help from allies around the city and the NOLA public school system aimed at solving food insecurity.
.@RevereLocal grad takes his community impact to another level: Larry Nance Jr. and the New Orleans Pelicans team up to tackle food insecurity in greater New Orleans | https://t.co/JTUMmFrh14https://t.co/xlwCNKOJHL
— Marla Ridenour (@MRidenourABJ) November 20, 2023
According to New Orleans Pelicans PR, Nance “took a proactive approach by reaching out to local principals of New Orleans public high schools. In collaboration with these educators, he presented a comprehensive idea: to engage a select group of high school juniors and seniors in the area to develop a detailed plan to combat food insecurity in New Orleans.”
The program will engage student groups who will work collaboratively on plans they will present to a panel, including Nance Jr., who will select winning projects.
In addition to the winning project receiving funding from the panel, the high school seniors involved will be provided scholarships for their efforts.
"I am thrilled to work with the incredible students of New Orleans to address the critical issue of food insecurity,” Nance Jr. said. “By empowering these young minds and providing them with the support they need, we can make a lasting impact on our community."
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Revere grad, NBA player Larry Nance Jr. aims to curb food insecurity