Buckeye Great Troy Smith and other Heisman Winners Join Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles to Tackle Affordable Housing May 8-9
May 13, 2015LOS ANGELES (May 8-9, 2015) — Heisman Trophy winning Buckeye Troy Smith took part in the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles’ Nissan #Heisman Build event May 8-9.
Walls were raised & stories were shared! This unique collaboration grew out of existing relationships among Nissan and its longtime partners Habitat for Humanity and the Heisman Trophy Trust. The three organizations come together each year to bring awareness to the need for affordable housing across the country. In addition to Troy, #Heisman winners Tony Dorsett, George Rogers and Matt Leinart participated in the build alongside Nissan volunteers & @HabitatLA partner homeowners.
The Heisman Trophy recipients began their weekend by leading a football clinic on May 8, running drills and engaging up to 250 young people at Carson High School in Carson, a city in southern Los Angeles County. The next day they traded footballs for hammers, helping to raise the walls of a family-in-need’s new home.
According to a news release by Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles: “The Heisman Trophy Trust is proud to partner with Nissan, Habitat for Humanity and the dedicated Heisman Trophy winners for this annual home build,” said Rob Whalen, Executive Director of the Heisman Trophy Trust. “The union of professional athletes and business leaders into one team to help a family build their dream home is truly remarkable. The Heisman Trophy Trust has a charitable mission to serve those less fortunate. This home build further cements our mission and highlights the basic human nature in each of us.”
The Heisman winners worked alongside Juan and Gloria Loza and their three sons, who currently live in a two-bedroom apartment in Norwalk. The construction crew directed by Habitat LA also included employee volunteers from Nissan’s Western Region operations in Orange County.
“This partnership with Nissan and the Heisman Trophy Trust will make a great impact in our community, from the clinic engaging so many local youth, including some of the children of our homeowners, to the build day with the Loza Family,” said Erin Rank, Habitat LA President/CEO. “The Heisman athletes who will be joining us know firsthand the meaning of hard work, and we appreciate them helping the Loza family with some of the sweat equity hours that they will be putting into building their Habitat LA home.”
You are a great leadership example and a class act Troy! Southern California Buckeye Fans, be a volunteer like Troy by contacting www.habitatla.org.
@OhioState @OhioStAthletics @OhioStateAlumni #BuckeyesforLife @OSU_Troysmith @OSU_LA