NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — On Saturday, local kids from Son of a Saint and the Boys and Girls Club were treated to a day of football and fun thanks to the New Orleans Saints, AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana and the Tyrann Mathieu Foundation.
First, the Saints and AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana hosted a ‘Back-to-School, Back to Football Health Expo’ at the team’s Ochsner Sports Performance Center on Airline Drive in Metairie.
Children and their families were treated to fun-filled activities challenging both mind and body, as well as free health screenings and school supplies.
Across the metro on the Lafitte Greenway in Mid-City, former St. Aug and LSU star-turned-Saint Tyrann Mathieu hosted his own ‘Back-to-School Jamboree’ – his fourth such event.
More than 300 boys and girls from Son of a Saint and Boys and Girls participated in the carnival atmosphere filled with jumping castles, sno-ball stands, educational games and dunk tanks.
Mathieu said education played a vital role in his personal and professional success, and helped establish his belief in giving back to the youth in his community.
“I’d probably say some of the best, greatest people I’ve ever met, were teachers and coaches,” said the four-time All-Pro safety, who won Super Bowl LIV while with the Kansas City Chiefs (2019-2021). “That’s what this day is all about. Obviously, we’ve got a lot of different volunteers out here from the Boys and Girls Club, Son of a Saint. I think all of our goals are just to continue to inspire these kids, to just keep pushing forward and being the best that they could be, you know, in everything that they do.”
The ‘Honey Badger’ is hosting his 6th annual Heart of a Badger Football Camp at the Saints practice facility on Sunday.
Registration is closed, but more info on next year’s events can be found at the Tyrann Mathieu Foundation, whose mission is to “impact in the lives of financially disadvantaged children and youth through encouragement, opportunities, and resources to achieve their dreams.”
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