WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA — Traveling back to his roots, Michael Jordan has been on a mission this year to give more than money to those in need, showing his “human” side.
According to Associated Press, Michael Jordan decided to venture back to his hometown of Wilmington to help continued disaster relief for victims of Hurricane Florence, back in September.
The source says Jordan arrived on-location wearing North Carolina Tar Heels blue. And reportedly, he chose a Lowe’s home improvement store as his gifting venue — which makes sense, considering the various needs of the city’s residents.
Michael graciously handed out Thanksgiving dinners at the store — as well as “Jordans” to kids at the Boys and Girls Club, on Tuesday, November 20, where he used to play as a teen.
Next stop: Michael Jordan surprises kids at the Wilmington NC Boys & Girls Club with new Jordan Brand shoes. pic.twitter.com/vbrMgATMnS
— Steve Reed (@SteveReedAP) November 20, 2018
NOTE: In September, Jordan donated $2 million towards relief efforts. The source states $1 million went to the Red Cross and the other million went to the Foundation for the Carolinas Hurricane Florence Response Fund.
“I can give money all day long, but at some point you want them to understand you’re human,” Jordan tells AP‘s Steve Redd.
Some recipients of Michael’s help were on-scene meeting with him and expressing their incredible gratitude for his assistance. One beneficiary and hurricane survivor, Stephanie Parker, says she doesn’t know how she and her family of six would’ve managed the last two months with MJ’s assistance.
When she saw Michael on Monday, November 19, she was overwhelmed with emotion and couldn’t resist offering him a huge hug and thanks for rescuing her family. Parker was asked about thoughts concerning Jordan’s personal visit to Wilmington, and she responded:
“It means he hasn’t forgotten. It means we are important.”
The source reports Jordan smiled big when asked about meeting Parker, specifically. Michael responded as follows.
“You really want to trust that money goes to the right people. And when you see it goes to the right people, it makes me feel good that I did the right thing.”
According to Parker, she and her family have had a rough time since the hurricane.
“At first it was really, really hard to realize that you lost everything,” she mentioned to the source. However, she emphasizes that those like Jordan who helped provide needed funds have been an “incredible blessing.”
The Associated Press notes that Jordan will stay in the area for a little while to monitor hurricane recovery efforts in Wilmington. Likewise, the source says he’s considering partnering with others to continue providing assistance as needed.
Michael Jordan on coming back to Wilmington. pic.twitter.com/mPSWQmL7PM
— Steve Reed (@SteveReedAP) November 20, 2018
“I wanted to be an igniter to the process,” Jordan mentioned regarding his initial donation. Yet, even though he’s helping so many, Michael says he’s going to take a while before things are “back to normal” in the area. He maintains that he’ll contribute however he can.
“I am pretty sure that the league will have some support systems that will reach out to this community. And we are going to do a lot in Charlotte, too. But the overall game is about helping other people, so I can see it reaching all the way down to this area.”
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[Featured Photo via Getty Images]
