Chris Matthews gives back in a Big Way for Thanksgiving

What does it mean to give something back to your community?

It’s a question that’s often asked when individuals (or groups) have the means to give back to communities in need. While the question is frequently asked, there are often times where the connection to the community receiving the support is just as important as the act itself. For donors that give back to HBCU institutions and endeavors, that connection matters. It’s the same when it comes to individuals that have left home, made good, and return back to those communities.

Chris “Lethal Shooter” Matthews is one such person. A native Washingtonian, Chris used basketball as a vehicle to reach all sorts of heights in his professional life. As arguably one of the best-specialized basketball skill coaches in the world, Matthews has reached levels in his line of work that are rarely seen. He’s coached some of the best men’s and women’s basketball players in the world. He’s been part of the spearhead for the foundation of the HBCU Elite 100.  With all that success, his heart is never far away from those Washington, D.C. basketball courts and neighborhoods.

So, how did Chris Matthews give back?

By breathing new life into the same blacktop and courts that gave him his foundation. In a city that’s known for the grassroots nature of it’s basketball, there aren’t many areas more sacred than the basketball court. Walter Pierce Park and Langdon Recreation Center were the beneficiaries of Matthews’ return home. In conjunction with Events DC, Red Bull, and the District Of Columbia Department of Parks and Recreation, he upgraded the indoor and outdoor basketball facilities of both locales for a new generation of Washingtonians to use. Six brand new backboards and rim assemblies in all were installed in both locations this past thanksgiving. In addition, Chris spearheaded a thanksgiving turkey drive for the surrounding community. 125 turkeys were donated to families in need.

The holiday charity event ended with Chris Matthews doing what he’s done for College, NBA and WNBA professionals the world over; Teaching the art of shooting. Chris conducted a free skills clinic for the children of his hometown neighborhood, complete with backpacks, shirts basketballs, and pretty much all the fixings that go along with a hoops camp experience. For Chris, the act of giving back was something that was a long time in the making:

This year I started the Jeffrey Winslow Foundation in honor of my late father.  Projects like this one will continue to be a priority of mine and my foundation’s in order to keep his memory alive.  My dad was a giver and I’m so blessed to be in a position to now give in his honor.  Renovating backboards on the courts that raised me is important to me because DC Parks and Recreation gave me an outlet to be successful.  The Rec really kept me out of trouble and gave me a place to start building my work ethic.  Now I feel like it’s my turn to come back to continue to show the youth we can make it out of DC and win, even if the odds are against us. I would never be where I am today without everyone who helped me along the way – now it’s my turn to reach back to the next generation and help them chase their dreams.”

Before Chris Matthews played basketball at National Christian Academy (and later, Division I NCAA hoops at St. Bonaventure University and Washington State), he was a DC kid. He was a child for whom basketball was a lifeline. That lifeline eventually grew into a skill that has been used to teach the likes of Candace Parker, Anthony Davis, and Dwight Howard to better their own skills. The playgrounds and courts of Washington D.C. gave ‘Lethal Shooter’ his foundation. Those same neighborhoods and blacktops have brought Mr. Matthews full circle, with the opportunity to help jumpstart the next generation of kids to aspire to bigger and better goals.

Chris Matthews…An HBCU Digital Hero.

#HBCUDigital
#ThisIsHome
#LethalShooter

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