LSU quarterback Joe Burrow’s Heisman acceptance speech has sparked a spirit of giving. Burrow referenced his upbringing in Athens, Ohio, an impoverished area where the poverty rate is almost two times the national average. Rob Szabo is with the Athens County Food Pantry and says the outpouring of support has been overwhelming.
“We were shocked. We had no idea he was going to mention anything. We had no idea we were going to have any donation coming in. It was a complete shock to us,” said Szabo.
Szabo says food insecurity is a huge issue in the area. The Athens County Food Pantry supports more than 5,000 households in the area each year.
“There’s a lot of low-income families, there’s a lot of families that need extra support and that’s where we step in and do our best to help them in times of need,” said Szabo.
A Facebook fundraising campaign has eclipsed $300,000 dollars since Burrow’s acceptance speech. Szabo says that will help with the extra need that comes with the holidays.
“We’re going to be able to provide probably a couple hundred more percentage support for these families at this time now,” said Szabo.
