An initiative by Christian McCaffrey, in partnership with his teammate Shaq Thompson, to use sports as a vehicle for change and to serve underserved youth in the Charlotte area.
A Message from Christian
The events of the past weeks have been weighing heavily on me and I wanted to do something to show support for my community in Charlotte.
Together with my teammate Shaq Thompson, today we're announcing 22 Together: A partnership with 54.
We will work with the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Charlotte and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Police Activities League (PAL) to provide sports programs to Charlotte's underserved youth. With volunteer members of the police department and business community as coaches, we are coming together to help kids find their way onto the field.
Sports have always been an important place for mentorship, support, and growth for me. By teaming up with Shaq and our partners, we hope that this is one small step toward better unifying our community and setting a promising path forward for our youth.
When we come together on a field of play, it helps unite us everywhere else.
Thank you,
Shaq Thompson
“When Christian called to ask if I would support this program with him, it was an easy decision. This is exactly what our community needs right now. Something positive, that’s focused on kids who will be left behind and will suffer most if we don’t come together as a community to help them.”
Shaq Thompson is a strong community advocate working closely with the BGCA, including his own campaign, “Shaq Thompson’s Sacks for Kids,” , established in 2016.
- Shaq Thompson
Outside Linebacker | Carolina Panthers
Police Activities League
“The Police Athletic League of Charlotte (PAL) is a program we’re all very proud of. The reality is that we need funding to continue supporting it, and the kids who can benefit most from participating can’t afford the fee to sign up. With the support of Christian, Shaq, and 22 Together, we can now reach more kids and, through them, have an even broader impact on our community, including for our officers who gain much from their experiences as mentors and coaches.”
- Captain Tonya Arrington
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department
Boys and Girls Club
“The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Charlotte is so grateful for the support of 22 Together and particularly at this critical time when COVID-19 has left an added strain on our budget and resources. We know that when economic crises and other major events take place, the impact is felt most by our underserved populations. We applaud Christian and Shaq’s efforts and look forward to the enhancements to our programming for the betterment of youth we serve.”
- Marty Clary
Executive Director | The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Charlotte