Pro Football Hall Of Famer Jerry Rice And Wife, Latisha Pelayo, Donate More Than $667K To Eliminate Student Lunch Debt
Jerry Rice has wiped out thousands in student lunch debt.
According to Complex, the NFL Super Bowl champion and Pro Football Hall of Famer paid a visit to an elementary school in California’s Bay Area. After learning more about student lunch debt and its impact on learners, he promptly expanded his local philanthropic effort to include schools across the country.
Alongside his wife, Latisha Pelayo, he has cleared more than $667,000 in student lunch debt. According to a post on X, Rice acknowledged, “Helping these kids is a victory bigger than any trophy I’ve ever won.”
His efforts have benefited students at more than 100 schools nationwide, reportedly relieving the financial burden for thousands of families.
“No child should ever step into a classroom hungry,” Rice said, per Complex. “Our responsibility is to plant strong seeds for the next generation to thrive.”
The efforts also moved the hearts of several entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley who have pledged to match his donations to clear the debts of more students in California.
The work doesn’t stop here for Rice. He has also tag-teamed with Steve Young, another sports legend with whom he played on the San Francisco 49ers. The pair is raising awareness to support food banks during a time when many are facing food insecurity due to reduced Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, as AFROTECH™ previously reported.
“Honored to join up with our Bay Area community and my main man #80 to support something always very close to our hearts over the years: lifting families up in our backyard during the holiday season,” Young said in a post shared on Instagram. “Even the smallest thing that you might not think to give your local food bank — like a extra can or two — could end up making the biggest impact in someone’s life. When measured across the entire network, those few extras can turn into a mountain. And Jerry says we could always use plenty of rice.”
