The Carolina Panthers, in partnership with The David & Nicole Tepper Foundation and Samaritan’s Feet, hosted a high-energy shoe distribution event today for students at David Cox Elementary School. Panthers personalities and volunteers, including Nicole Tepper, RB Jonathon Brooks, C Nick Samac, Samaritan’s Feet employees and Panthers PSL Owners were on-site to help distribute new sneakers to every student at the school. As part of the Panthers and Atrium Health’s Play60 initiative, this effort encourages students to build healthy habits and stay active for at least 60 minutes every day.

 

“The partnership between The David & Nicole Tepper Foundation, Carolina Panthers and Samaritan’s Feet is helping ensure that students across the Carolinas have the essential footwear they need for active play, empowering them with comfort, confidence, and the opportunity to fully participate in youth sports and maintain an active lifestyle,” said Nicole Tepper, chief administrative officer of Tepper Sports & Entertainment and cofounder of The David & Nicole Tepper Foundation.

 

This event is part of a broader shoe distribution effort made possible by the donation of 10,000 pairs of new sneakers from The David & Nicole Tepper Foundation that will benefit thousands of students in high-need communities across the Carolinas. Over the past two months, the Panthers and Samaritan’s Feet have teamed up to distribute shoes at five schools throughout Charlotte (N.C.), Wilmington (N.C.) and Orangeburg (S.C.) school districts.

 

B-roll and photos from the event are available for download here.

 

The Carolina Panthers became the 29th National Football League franchise on October 26, 1993. The Panthers began play in the 1995 season, winning an expansion-team-record seven games. In 31 seasons, Carolina has won seven division titles, including three consecutive NFC South division titles from 2013-15. The Panthers have played in 18 playoff games, winning two NFC Championships and appearing in Super Bowl XXXVIII and Super Bowl 50. David A. Tepper, the founder and president of global hedge fund Appaloosa Management, L.P. and a well-known philanthropist, is the owner of the Carolina Panthers. Truly representing both Carolinas, the Panthers play their home games at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., just miles from the North Carolina-South Carolina border. Serving the two-state region is a priority for the team. The Panthers work with over 3,800 community partners, non-profit agencies and schools in the Carolinas each year and are committed to positively impacting the region by providing philanthropic funding, resources and opportunities throughout the Carolinas.

 

Established in 2020, The David and Nicole Tepper Foundation invests capital and expertise to address the most pressing issues of our time through innovative, effective, and nimble solutions with a special focus on community-based projects. While the organization supports a number of initiatives, its core focus areas are food insecurity, basic needs, education, and disaster relief. As its founders and namesakes, David and Nicole Tepper remain fervently committed to addressing societal ails and inequities, both on a national and local scale.

  

Samaritan’s Feet is a 501(c)(3) humanitarian aid organization that serves and inspires hope in people by providing shoes as the foundation to a spiritual and healthy life resulting in the advancement of education and economic opportunities. In 2023, Samaritan’s Feet celebrated its 20th anniversary as an organization and also served its 10 millionth person. Since its founding by Manny and Tracie Ohonme in 2003, Samaritan’s Feet and its partners have served more than 11.8 million people in 113 nations and more than 625 U.S. cities. For more information about Samaritan’s Feet International, visit www.SamaritansFeet.org.