Tyrese Maxey is making an impact.
And no, I’m not talking about putting up a career-high 54 points for the Philadelphia 76ers just a few days ago in their win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Saturday morning in North Philadelphia, the Sixers’ guard was putting up even bigger numbers.
For the fourth year in a row, Maxey and his foundation, Tyrese Maxey Foundation, hosted their annual Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway in Philadelphia. This year’s event was held at the Alan Horwitz “Sixth Man” Center in the Nicetown section of the city.
With a gym full of volunteers and a line wrapping around the Sixth Man Center, it’s impossible not to feel the impact of the event that has continued on a trajectory of growth year after year.
Two years ago, the event handed out 1,000 meals to Philadelphians in need. Last year, 2,000 meals were distributed. This year, they upped the ante again for their biggest event yet — 3,000 Thanksgiving meals to locals in need. Each meal included turkey, sides, fresh produce and sweet treats.
“I’m just happy to be giving back. My uncle, my mom, the Foundation are all doing a great job of trying to find trade partners and increase numbers. A lot of people want to be involved in something special like this,” Maxey said at the event. “I remember when I first came to it, it was a small idea that we wanted to do and it’s just turned grand. That’s a really good feeling.”
“I want people to see that I’m not just a basketball player, I’m a person as well. I grew up in a place where I wanted to give back to, and now I’m blessed to be able to have that impact in Philadelphia. And why not be a part of it? I don’t want to just have my name on it, I want to come and be supportive. I have practice later on but I had to come here first and be a part of this event.”
Maxey himself walked around the volunteer-packed gymnasium with the first recipients in line for a meal. He helped them at each station pack their wagon full to the brim with Thanksgiving foods before sending them on their way.
“It’s got nothing to do with basketball. It’s to give back. My grandmother told me at a young age if I was blessed to make it, \[giving back\] was the one thing she wanted me to do,” Maxey explained. “I try to make my parents, my grandmother, everybody that’s in my family proud to have the Maxey name.”
That idea of giving back and physically being at the events, not just putting his name on them, is something Maxey absolutely walks the walk on — even if that walk once included a boot on a freshly broken foot.
“We had a turkey drive my third year in the league, and I broke my foot the day before. I came in the boot and walked people around and was there the entire time. This one lady came up to me just crying, happy that I was there. She didn’t think I’d be there because of breaking my foot the day before,” Maxey said. “Those are the moments that we live for. That’s why I do it. That’s why I think my foundation, my family — I push them and we push each other trying to make this bigger and bigger every year.”
As the event continues to grow and the Tyrese Maxey Foundation’s impact grows along with it, Maxey was asked about his hopes for the future.
“Just keep feeding families, man. Just keep making people happy, you know? Right now, it’s a hard time in the world and a lot of stuff has been changing.
The more families we can feed, the more smiles we can put on people’s faces, I’m happy.”