600 CANNED FOOD ITEMS DONATED TO PERSON-TO-PERSON
FOOD BANK OF NORWALK
EVENT SPONSORED BY FACTORY UNDERGROUND,
JOEL'S BARBER LOUNGE AND ACTION FITNESS (NEW HAVEN)
The first annual Hometown Love charity canned food drive and basketball tournament was a smashing success, thanks to our sponsor-partners Joe's Barber Lounge of Norwalk, Ct and Team Action Fitness of New Haven, Ct, and last but certainly not least our very own FNX, a rapper whose song "Hometown Love" inspired the event co-produced by Factory Underground Records. The event was held on the grounds of the George Washington Carver Foundation's home center ay 7 Academy Street in Norwalk on June 26, 2016. The goal of the event was to raise 500 canned goods and non-perishable food items to be donated to Person-to-Person Food Bank of Norwalk. The event, which consisted of a basketball tournament and barbecue cookout met the goal with flying colors, with a final tally of 600 cans of food by the day's end.
"The idea started with the title of my song "Hometown Love," and with the help of my publicist Marc Alan of Factory Underground Records, it all grew from there," said FNX. "We wanted to have an event that would be fun for the community, and bring people together around the cause of helping other people. Person-to-Person is such an important resource for underserved families of our community, it was a joy to be able to help them through this event. It was also one major charity helping another in the community--I have to say that we couldn't have done this without the George Washington Carver Center--they really came to play ball with us."
"I have to give it to Joel's Barber Lounge of Norwalk for their invaluable contributions. They organized the actual tournament, recruited the teams, hired the referees; it was a very professional operation. Seeing all of the players wearing "Hometown Love" basketball shirts in different team-colors was very inspiring, not to mention the incredible skill of the players who turned out from all over Fairfield County," FNX said.
FNX is a rapper of considerable skill and personal style, but one who is proving worth far beyond the measure of his market share, streaming numbers, and sales on iTunes. The musician isn't waiting for any level of commercial break-through to give back to his community. An alumni of the George Washington Carver Center, who credits the organization with keeping him off the streets as a young man growing up in Norwalk, Ct, the young man who would become known as FNX went on to graduate with honors from Brian McMahon High School (Norwalk), achieving a Bachelors degree of Business from University of Southern Connecticut, and a Masters degree of Business and Organizational Leadership from the University of New Hampshire. An unusual pedigree for a rapper in today's hip hop music scene, but then as "Hometown Love" shows FNX is no ordinary rapper.
"Working with the Carver on this level was in many ways my life coming full circle. I grew up at the Carver, and it helped shape me into the man that I am. So it is very important for me to advocated for the Carver, and be a role model for the children there today. I want them to know what education can do to change their lives. I want them to say to themselves, "If FNX did it, then I can do it too."
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| Jim Schaffer of Carver Foundation and FNX |
All photographs by John Shyloski copyright 2016
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