TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — James Coleman, Pat Watkins, and Amari Gainer all played high school football in Tallahassee. All three went on to play at Florida State, and all three continue to give back to the city that made them.
Friday in Tallahassee, the giving continued as the trio teamed up to give 30 kids a shopping spree just in time for Christmas.
"You can make it from out of here, and when you do something big, you have to come back," said Coleman. "It's all about pouring into the community that poured so much into you."
That's exactly what the homegrown Florida State trio of Coleman, Watkins, and Gainer did Friday in Tallahassee.
"Florida State's a family," said Gainer. "Being able to be with my Nole brothers, and my Nole family, being able to support the community, it's always a great time."
"I was growing up, I was in a lot of these people's situations, where I couldn't always afford everything," added Watkins. "It's kind of full circle for me to be able to come from where I was at, make it to where I was at, and turn around and give right back."
Thirty kids, ten chosen by each player granted a $100 shopping spree at Academy Sports and Outdoors, a chance to have a Christmas, when they may have gone without.
"It's really neat to me, especially since it's Christmas, especially with inflation, I think this was really kind," said Taylor-Grace Malson, who received a gift card.
"Being able to have all these kids out here, throughout the community that need presents and have a great day, because not everyone's as fortunate," said Gainer. "It's amazing to be out here and be able to serve."
Serve a community that helped them realize their dreams.
"A lot of people do different things with their platform, and this is one of things I wanted to do with my platform, give back," said Watkins.
"You can literally come up through high school, come up through college and also be able to grow your roots and extend those roots here in the city of Tallahassee," added Coleman. "People need to see more examples of that."
Examples given today, to inspire the leaders of tomorrow.
