Chapel Hill, North Carolina

May 22, 2023

Following a successful inaugural dinner with Sam Howell last spring, TABLE joined forces again with Howell, and added starting QB Drake Maye for their fundraising dinner that took place on Friday, May 19 in Carrboro. The event included a catered dinner by Iza Whiskey and Eats, followed by an auction to benefit TABLE’s mission to provide access to healthy food and nutrition education for children in Orange County.

“It was an honor to help TABLE raise vital funds for their food programs,” quoted Maye. “There is such a need in our community – right in our own backyard. I was happy to join my teammates and provide assistance!”

The donations from Friday’s event help support TABLE’s initiatives of ending hunger and providing healthier options for local children. Heels4Life has worked with TABLE in the past to package food for delivery to homes of children in need, and once again came together for Friday’s fundraising event to support TABLE’s commitment to serving children in the community.

“We are thrilled by the success of this second annual fundraiser, grown out of the relationship built with Sam Howell and, now, Drake Maye, that has helped us raise more than $600,000 toward our capital campaign over the last two years,” says Ashton Tippins, Executive Director for TABLE. “We now have only $350,000 left to complete the budget for purchasing our new, much needed, space in downtown Carrboro. With more than 125 children currently on our waitlist, we are working to move into that space by this fall, to reach as many children in our Orange County community as possible. We are thankful for host Vaughn Moore; donor, friend and co-host Kirk Streb; event organizer and board member Colleen Minton; honored guests and supporters Drake Maye and Sam Howell; and partner, Heels4Life, for making this event a joy and a success!”

Heels4Life supported the fundraising event with auction items and the attendance of several Carolina Football players, including Jahvaree Ritzie, Amari Gainer, Kamari Morales, Sebastian Cheeks, and Spencer Rolland. The event also included major names in the Carolina athletic universe including Head Coach Mack Brown, All-American Armando Bacot, and basketball icon Tyler Hansbrough.

Defensive Lineman Jahvaree Ritzie quoted “To me, it’s important that all needs for the kids in our community are met. This past Friday at the event the Tar Heel family really did their thing with their support and love for the kids. I honestly would love to see more people get involved with TABLE and help the kids in our community.”

For more information on Heels4Life:

Heels4Life is a private collective supporting the UNC Football Team and its players through educational, promotional, and non-profit efforts in the new Name Image and Likeness (NIL) landscape. The collective works with the UNC donor community and its businesses to leverage opportunities to provide support for the student-athletes and help prepare them for life beyond Chapel Hill.

graham@heels4life.org

For more information on TABLE: