The Grove Collective, Wheels Up and The Brandr Group partnered for a day of service dedicated to addressing hunger in Oxford on Wednesday, Dec. 4, marking the third annual year of service.
Nine athletes across six Ole Miss athletic teams distributed food items to families this holiday season. At the conclusion of the event, athletes contributed groceries to 200 families and community members.
Ole Miss student athletes who participated were football wide receiver Cayden Lee, softball outfielder Taylor Strain, baseball pitcher Riley Maddox, basketball guard Sean Pedulla, football defensive end Jared Ivey, soccer midfielder Lauren Montgomery, baseball pitcher Will McCausland, football wide receiver Ayden Williams and golfer Michael La Sasso.
Wheels Up is the leading provider of on-demand private aviation and remains one of the biggest companies in the industry. Their ongoing Meals Up initiative with Feeding America, a group of Wheels Up Champion Ambassadors made up of student athletes across various Ole Miss athletic teams, dedicated their morning to give back to the Oxford community at the Oxford Food Pantry.
The Oxford Food Pantry is a part of the Mississippi Food Network, which accommodates food for approximately 1.8 million people per year.
The Wheels Up initiative started in 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic created a big setback in fighting hunger. Over the duration of this program, Wheels Up has contributed more than 90 million meals through the partnership with Feeding America.
The Grove Collective attributes Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) opportunities and platforms to Ole Miss student athletes, home to more than 300 Rebel athletes who look to utilize NIL in their athletic careers at the university.
Executive Director of The Grove Collective Walker Jones has always honored a day gifted to student athletes for the opportunity to give back to the community they live in.
“Our goal and mission of The Grove Collective is to not only try and create opportunities for our athletes to expand their NIL platforms, but also give back to the community they live in,” Jones said in an interview with The Daily Mississippian. “It’s great to see the support from the community for our athletes, but our athletes are also giving that back in return.”
For Vice President of The Grove Collective Lauren Hoselton, the importance of showcasing student athletes recognizing what is happening in the community is the most significant part of this event.
“In Mississippi, food insecurity is a huge issue,” Hoselton said. “So being able to now work for The Grove Collective and partner with Wheels Up and Delta, it’s so important to me that athletes are aware of the community and what’s going on and helping in the insecurity that so many people in North Mississippi are dealing with.”
Hoselton competed with Ole Miss Track and Field from 2017 to 2022, specializing in javelin. An event like this one hits home for her as a former student athlete.
“I was really involved as a student here but also as a student athlete. I love Oxford and it has given me everything I have,” Hoselton said. “What we’re doing for the university is so important, and I think, also, the community knows that our athletes are engaged in other things.”
Lee of Ole Miss football participated in his first Day of Service with The Grove Collective.
“Wheels Up has done so much nationally, being able to give back to people in the hunger crisis,” Lee said in an interview with The Daily Mississippian. “I’m really just blessed to be able to be in the position I’m in to give back.”
Lee and the Ole Miss football team concluded their regular season slate Friday, Nov. 29 with a victory over in-state rival Mississippi State. For Lee, turning around to give back to the community that supported the team till the very end felt just right.
“Talking to some of these people that have been out here, you know, they’re some of the big ones that support us all year long,” Lee said. “So just to be able to give back in any way, shape or form is amazing to just show them that we’re paying attention to them as well and we appreciate their support.”
