Jazz's Booker provides Thanksgiving for Bountiful families


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BOUNTIFUL — For most Utahns, Thanksgiving is a celebration of overabundance.

Families all around the state sit down to large meals and celebrate the blessings they’ve received over the past year. Turkey, pumpkin pie and stuffing make just a small part of the equation but are the centerpiece for the celebration.

Not all families in the state have access to the holiday’s centerpiece, however, mainly due to financial constraints. There may be no place like home for the holidays, but imagine if there was no homemade pumpkin pie.

First-year Utah Jazz forward Trevor Booker couldn’t imagine Utah families spending Thanksgiving without a delicious home-cooked meal, so, in conjunction with the Bountiful Community Food Pantry, Booker purchased holiday food items for six south Davis County families.

The idea first came about when Booker contacted the Jazz community relations department about his interest in helping local families. Patti Balli with the Jazz organization then got in contact with Lorna Koci of the Food Pantry, and the two parties helped Booker find six deserving families.

Booker said giving back is a privilege he has as an NBA player.

“It means a lot to see smiling faces,” said Booker, who is averaging 7.9 points per game for the Jazz. “I’m fortunate enough to have food on my table, so I think other people should be to."

“I love meeting the fans. They’re out there supporting us, so why can’t we support them?”

The families Booker assisted received traditional holiday food items but also were mandated to select cereal and milk.

Photo: Brent Asay/Utah Jazz
Photo: Brent Asay/Utah Jazz

Booker, a self-professed cereal fanatic, said the cereal is to enjoy Thanksgiving morning.

“Growing up, I loved eating cereal,” said Booker, who listed Fruit Loops and Cinnamon Toast Crunch as his favorite cereals. “That’s all we did was eat cereal, all day. I made that one of the requirements today, so I’m just a cereal lover.”

Besides purchasing the food, the South Carolina native also signed autographs and took photos with the individual families.

Koci said it is a great thrill for the families to both receive food and enjoy an afternoon with an NBA player.

“(The families) were very excited,” she said. “Most of the families are Jazz fans that we contacted, and they knew of Trevor. They were excited to be here with him, and that added to the excitement for them.”

The Bountiful Community Food Pantry offers assistance to over 1,200 families a month, but also attempts to help those families work into a situation of self-sustainability. Despite helping so many families, Koci said the organization could help at least another 500 more families.

Every single family Booker assisted left with full carts and wide smiles. The Food Pantry’s case workers helped identify the families, according to their needs and the organization’s need to represent a diverse population.

Joel Murray and his family were one of those to benefit from the event, and said Booker’s kindness provides children growing up a positive role model to emulate.

“The spirit of giving for Thanksgiving; they went over and beyond it for our family,” said Murray, who has a wife and two children. “The experience is just exhilarating. I thank God for people like Trevor, and all I can say is if people just keep on doing good things like that for people like us, it’s paying it forward."

“Our kids today are only led by examples, and if we keep having good examples like this, where can we go wrong in the future?”

Since being signed by the Jazz on July 21, Booker has been involved with several community events, from his cereal purchasing party to helping veterans at the VA Hospital.

He said he’s still looking for new ways to give back.

“I’m still trying to figure out something for Christmas, but I’m not sure what I’m going to do yet,” he said.

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Jon Oglesby

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