Laremy Tunsil gives back with interactive Thanksgiving experience at Houston Texans YMCA: ‘Laremy has a big heart’

HOUSTON – The line of families stretched across the block, hundreds of parents and children waiting patiently. First, to receive a delicious meal from Trill Burgers. Then, they were greeted by Texans Pro Bowl left offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil and his team from Divine Treee with everything they would need for a Thanksgiving meal, including a frozen turkey.

Fans were surprised to see Texans star rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud during Tunsil’s interactive food and grocery Thanksgiving event at the Houston Texans YMCA, which was sponsored by AK Law Firm, GLD, Trill Burgers and Chase Bank and organized by Legacy Philanthropy, the offensive lineman’s charity partner.

“Laremy has a big heart,” said Laila Souktani of Legacy. “He always wants to help. He grew up in a single parent household, which has contributed to his want to give back to the community now that he’s in a position to do. He always wants to do something. We have some exciting things coming. He’s excited about helping single mothers and low income families as well.

“I think it was a great event. We had an incredible turnout. We had a ton of people. Very impactful. With Legacy, we help manage pro athletes’ charity events. We help curate the idea of the event, the logistics, the PR, bring in the sponsors for the event, vet organizations in the community, understand what their needs are. We put everything together.

It was a festive atmosphere as Tunsil partnered with multiple local nonprofit organizations, including Second Servings, SHAPE, Gracewood, Urban Enrichment Institute, Easter Seals, Boy’s & Girls Club Houston, Search Homeless, Aspire to Win, and the Women’s Resource Center.

Tunsil was joined by his team, friends and family, including Alex Weber, his brother, and Laolu Sanni. The event was supported by several members of the Texans organization, including Brent Naccara, Evert Geerlings and Morgan Kleinschmidt.

“It’s been really exciting working with Laremy because you get to know these players off the field and how much he actually really cares about these families,” said Andrew Kumar, lead attorney for AK Law. “You know he could show up and just write a check, but he’s here actually doing the work himself. It’s really cool to see that;.

“It’s good to see C.J. out there. Laremy has his back on the field and C.J. has got his back here with his charity. That’s great to see them work together and it has increased the people we have here. It’s the third year we’ve done this and 10 times as many people this year. It’s great to see.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com