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South Carolina football players host zoo day for area kids through Garnet Trust

wesby: Wes Mitchell02/12/22WesMitchellGC
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South Carolina football players host kids from the Boys and Girls Club at the zoo. (Photo: Kendall Smith/GamecockCentral.com

Led by the vision of senior center Eric Douglas, multiple South Carolina football players joined forces with the Garnet Trust and Columbia Firehouse Subs to help give back to their community for an afternoon at the zoo.

The players hosted a day at the Riverbanks Zoo for 50 kids from the Boys and Girls Club of the Midlands.

The kids, from two local elementary schools, were bussed over to the zoo before touring the extensive animal exhibits with the football players as their tour guides the entire way.

Douglas’ love for animals played a role in him picking the zoo as the focal point for his first community event.

“We’re here today, just to give back for the kids,” Douglas said. “The Boys and Girls Club is something that’s special to my heart, growing up, just being a part of it, and these past two years just being in the community, working with them as an internship, just being around the kids and helping set up things, I knew that one day if I was going to start my own foundation or have my own ideas, I knew the first people I was going to call was the Boys and Girls Club. That’s really why we’re here, is just giving back to the kids and letting them know, ‘You’ve got a big brother in us.'”

Every kid who attended went home with a free meal from Firehouse Subs made possible by an NIL agreement for the event.

While the day at the zoo was Douglas’ idea, he was supported wholeheartedly by his teammates in attendance: Boogie Huntley, Jaylin Dickerson, Jordan Davis, Cole Rasmussen, Matthew Bailey, Dylan Wonnum, Hunter Rogers, Vershon Lee, M.J. Webb, Hank Manos and Jaz Turnetine.

Douglas says he hopes to help organize similar events in the community in the future.

Check out the Garnet Trust video of the zoo day below!

What is the Garnet Trust?

Garnet Trust is the platform for fans and businesses to connect with and support student-athletes through name, image, and likeness deals.

Garnet Trust is not affiliated with the University of South Carolina. Learn more about Garnet Trust at https://www.garnettrust.com/.

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