C.J. and Errick McCollum team up to provide groceries to those in need

PLAIN TWP. - It has been more than a decade since C.J. McCollum produced points in the Plain Local School District as a high scoring player for the Golden Eagles basketball team.

As a current NBA star, McCollum teamed up with his brother Errick McCollum to produce in a more meaningful way as the two used what is known as a pop-up grocery market on Sunday to donate bags of groceries to about 400 local families.

Recipients formed a long line leading into Oakwood Middle School at 2300 Schneider St. NE to receive bags filled with food. The event was held in conjunction with the Martin Luther King Jr. birthday observance. The bags included bottles of fruit juice, milk, cartons of eggs, bread, fresh produce, ground beef, sausage and lunch meat.

Plain Township project:Trustees select contractor to build Oakwood amphitheater

"He likes doing it," said C.J. McCollum's father, whose name also is Errick McCollum. "You are supposed to give back to the community when you make it up out of here."

C.J. McCollum, 31, plays with the New Orleans Pelicans. He spent the majority of his NBA career with the Portland Trail Blazers. After leaving GlenOak High School in 2009, C.J. McCollum enrolled at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.

His brother Errick McCollum also made his mark as a basketball player at GlenOak High. Errick went on to play professionally abroad. He now is with a team based in Karsiyaka, Izmir, in Turkey within the Turkish Basketball Super League. Errick McCollum will be 35 later this month. Neither of them were present at the food-distribution event Sunday.

The program was held in conjunction with an Atlanta-based hunger relief program called Goodr. One of Goodr's projects is pop-up grocery markets.

"C.J. has worked with Goodr to provide free groceries in New Orleans," said Nancy Byron, public relations officer for Goodr. "He is definitely a Canton hometown hero for sure. This will be like fresh meat, fresh produce, eggs, dairy (products), bread. They are about nutrition, not just filling your stomach. From what I understand the need in Canton is great."

Among the food recipients was Rome Hill who flashed a thumbs-up sign while leaving the school with his bag of groceries.

"It's good, happy," Hill said. "I don't know any kids that don't like (potato) chips."

Among those at the event Sunday was Scott Garcia, football coach for GlenOak High School. Garcia said he was not at all surprised to see such generosity from C.J. McCollum whom he recalls as a student at the high school.

"Both boys were always giving," Garcia said.

The distribution was held in the school gymnasium. Some of those helping with project were relatives of the McCollum brothers.

"We have about 26 people here," said Ashley Combs, an agent of C.J. McCollum who is with Excel Sports Management of Los Angeles. "We do this same kind of event for Thanksgiving in New Orleans. C.J.'s mom was there and she loved it. So we decided to do the same kind of event in Ohio."

This article originally appeared on The Repository: C.J. and Errick McCollum team up to provide groceries goodr