BROOKYN PARK, August 11, 2022 – David Roddy of the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies and the Minnesota Chill Foundation, a non-profit organization helping student athletes excel on and off the court, are giving away more than 1,000 backpacks filled with school supplies to students in Brooklyn Park. On Saturday, August 20th, they will join the 2nd annual Back to School BBQ, hosted by Honored2Help, to meet with families and offer them resources and tools to help their youth excel this school year. Roddy, a former student athlete with the Minnesota Chill Foundation got his start in basketball through the award-winning non-profit and was recently chosen as a first round draft pick for the Memphis Grizzlies.
Last year the organization Honored2Help gave out 2000 backpacks and supplies to students in need. This year, due to a lack of resources and donations they were set to cancel the event, but Marcus Hill, former coach of Roddy and Director of Chill Basketball – a division within the Minnesota Chill Foundation, got whim of the cancellation and decided to partner together to make sure this opportunity was afforded to the students in the community who need these invaluable resources for their academic success.
Roddy, a standout from Colorado State University was drafted to the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round on June 23, 2022. “I’m excited to partner with the Minnesota Chill Foundation and Honored2Help because it allows me to give back to the community that supported my needs and helped prepare me for the future.” Roddy joined the Minnesota Chill Foundation and its basketball program when he was in 5th grade and the lessons carried him all the way to Colorado State University where he earned several distinguished awards in basketball, such as Mountain West conference player of the year and Associated Press All-America honorable mention. He also led the Rams to their first NCAA tournament in nine years. This year, he was drafted in the first round by the Memphis Grizzlies.
Roddy values being a leader and showing up to pay it forward for the ones to come after him which is why he finds partnering with the Minnesota Chill Foundation and organizations like Honored2Help a great way to pay it forward for generation tomorrow. Both Roddy and the Minnesota Chill Foundation believe that education provides opportunities to walk through doors that many thought were closed.
