BYU Athletes Give Back To Community Through NIL Service Project
May 30, 2023, 10:39 AM
AMERICAN FORK, Utah – Members of the BYU football and men’s basketball teams came together to give back to the community.
Athletes tied into BYU’s official NIL collective, The Royal Blue, met at Tabitha’s Way in American Fork last week to put together hygiene kits and sacks of lunch for adults in need.
Tabitha’s Way is a non-profit organization that feeds families in the Utah County area. They serve families in need from Alpine to Eagle Mountain and everywhere in between.
#BYU football and men’s basketball players from the @RoyalBlueNIL had a service project at Tabitha’s Way in American Fork. #BYUFootball #BYUHoops pic.twitter.com/NoDVMrTv9B
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) May 25, 2023
Years ago, before inflation hit the economy, Tabitha’s Way was assisting up to 160 families a week. That number has jumped significantly to 400 families per week needing assistance.
The director of Tabitha’s Way noted that one in seven kids goes hungry in Utah County. To help those who need assistance, they rely 100% on donations. Part of those donations come in the form of volunteering.
Some of the top BYU athletes were on hand to give back at Tabitha’s Way. Those in attendance included QB Kedon Slovis, WR Kody Epps, OT Kingsley Suamataia, and on the basketball side, Dallin Hall and Jaxson Robinson, among others.
“Really excited to see what they do here,” said BYU QB Kedon Slovis. “I didn’t realize how many people are in need of a nice meal and something to help them out. Whether it be a single mom or a struggling family, especially in this economy, it’s super exciting to be here with my friends and give back.”
All of it came together through The Royal Blue Collective.
BYU NIL efforts through The Royal Blue Collective
Since launching and being officially endorsed by BYU Athletics last December, TRB has strived to offer different components beyond money through NIL endorsements. Part of that is financial literacy, mental health resources, and also giving back to the community.
Players, including Slovis, shared their experience at Tabitha’s Way on social media, asking others to help out.
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“You want to give back to the community and do something for good. And also feel worthy of the compensation that the collective has given us. I feel this is a great way to do it,” said Slovis. “We can also use our platform and our social media, and our awareness to kind of drive more publicity and more awareness to a place like this.”
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU moving to the Big 12 Conference on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
