JaVale McGee puts such causes on his checklist when he joins a new team.
On Tuesday, the Suns Center hosted Child Crisis Arizona youth and families for Thanksgiving dinner at the Footprint Center.
“As soon as I get to a city, I try to figure out where there is a need, what I can do for the holiday season,” said McGee.
Child Crisis Arizona provides Arizona youth with “a safe environment, free from abuse and neglect, by building strong and successful families.”
A fan favorite back in his first season at Phoenix, McGee said he has wanted to give back since he became an NBA player.
McGee was the 18th overall selection in the 2008 draft from Nevada.
“When I first got into the league, my mom definitely helped give something back,” said McGee, Hall of Famer son Pamela McGee. “I don’t like to call it charity, I help the needy early on. Since I’ve been in the league, I’ve been doing turkey rides, gifts. I like to do something every Christmas time. When I came to Phoenix, I was trying to find a way to give something back. “
McGee wasn’t the only Suns player in the vacation mood this week.
Cam Jonson and Jalen Smith attended a Thanksgiving volunteer drive Thursday at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Phoenix.
“There was a bit of excitement, but it was the same as always,” said Johnson after the shooting on Friday morning for the Suns-Mavs game at the Footprint Center. “I served the food a lot. So I didn’t travel as much as I did behind the counter to scoop up the mashed potatoes and sauce on the plates, but a lot of the children were certainly excited.”
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is a non-profit organization focused on providing individual care, food and resources to those most in need.
Johnson was impressed with the way the organization worked.
“It takes a lot of manual labor over there,” he said. “They have a lot of volunteers and everything is volunteer.”
The story goes on
Two weeks ago Deandre Ayton posted a video about working with Green Mango Pest Control for a Christmas dinner campaign to raise “100,000 pounds” of food for the United Food Bank.
“It is very important to my family and me to give something back to the valley that I love,” Ayton said in the November 8 video.
Those who donate have the chance to win prizes signed by the Suns that start at $ 1,000. People are asked to donate by November 24th.
The Suns will be on a road trip during Thanksgiving week when they play the Cleveland Cavaliers on November 24th and the New York Knicks on November 26th at Madison Square Garden. Thanksgiving is November 25th.
This will be the first meeting between the Suns and Knicks this season. The Cavaliers lost in Phoenix, 101-92, on Devin Booker’s birthday, October 30th.
Do you have an opinion on the current state of the sun? You can reach Sun’s Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: JaVale McGee of Suns, Cam Johnson Among Gamers Who Give Back For Thanksgiving
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