Photo by: AJ Harrison
Wisconsin men’s basketball gives back to LA community
January 20, 2025 | Men's Basketball
Players, coaches and staff volunteered at local food pantry on MLK Day
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – During the Wisconsin men's basketball trip to Los Angeles to play USC and UCLA, the team took part in a community service project to give back to the local community and celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The players, coaches and staff visited the Westside Food Bank in Santa Monica on Monday, sorting and assembling boxes of non-perishable items. These food boxes are picked up weekly by locals experiencing food insecurities and are designed to feed a family for an entire week. During their shared experience, the Badgers packaged a total of 357 boxes on their visit.
"With everything that has been going on in LA with the fires and the devastation of the property and people's houses, this is our way to give back to the community while we're here for a week," senior Max Klesmit said. "We're trying to find any little way possible to make a difference in someone's life."
"Doing this on Martin Luther King Day is significant for us because if you just look at our team, it's not just a team full of one race," senior Kamari McGee said. "We've got guys from different cultures, different ethnicities and that's just a testament to what Martin Luther King believed in. This day is about coming together and helping other people. It's just something he would have loved to see."
The Westside Food Bank's mission is to end hunger in the Los Angeles community by providing access to free nutritious food through food acquisition and distribution, and by engaging the community and advocating for a strong food assistance network.
Badgers Give Back is a platform committed to improving the community by providing meaningful, impactful engagement opportunities with Wisconsin student-athletes and staff. The Wisconsin Athletic Department is dedicated to helping student-athletes develop and grow beyond the field of play through the exploration of areas of social relevance.
The players, coaches and staff visited the Westside Food Bank in Santa Monica on Monday, sorting and assembling boxes of non-perishable items. These food boxes are picked up weekly by locals experiencing food insecurities and are designed to feed a family for an entire week. During their shared experience, the Badgers packaged a total of 357 boxes on their visit.
"With everything that has been going on in LA with the fires and the devastation of the property and people's houses, this is our way to give back to the community while we're here for a week," senior Max Klesmit said. "We're trying to find any little way possible to make a difference in someone's life."
"Doing this on Martin Luther King Day is significant for us because if you just look at our team, it's not just a team full of one race," senior Kamari McGee said. "We've got guys from different cultures, different ethnicities and that's just a testament to what Martin Luther King believed in. This day is about coming together and helping other people. It's just something he would have loved to see."
The Westside Food Bank's mission is to end hunger in the Los Angeles community by providing access to free nutritious food through food acquisition and distribution, and by engaging the community and advocating for a strong food assistance network.
Badgers Give Back is a platform committed to improving the community by providing meaningful, impactful engagement opportunities with Wisconsin student-athletes and staff. The Wisconsin Athletic Department is dedicated to helping student-athletes develop and grow beyond the field of play through the exploration of areas of social relevance.
Players Mentioned
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