The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Smith, Huskies urge the people to “Wear Ya Mask!”
Chris Smith was shopping at a store in Shelton recently when he saw a couple walk in without a mask.
The store’s owner confronted the couple, an argument ensued and a fight nearly broke out, Smith said.
The way Smith sees it, such confrontations could be avoided simply by getting the message out in bold letters: “Wear your mask.”
Or, more specifically, “Wear Ya Mask!” — the catchphrase that Smith, the former UConn star guard via Bridgeport, has come up with and embroidered on face masks and t-shirts.
“You can save yourself and save others,” Smith reasoned, “by just wearing a mask. We want to create the awareness of wearing your mask, and give back to the community.”
On Thursday morning, in the parking lot at Rentschler Field, Smith helped give back in more ways than one. UConn men’s basketball’s all-time leading scorer (2,145 points) was more about doling out assists, helping Foodshare hand out meals to some 2,000 cars in a drive-thru food distribution event.
Smith wasn’t alone. Former Husky stars Scott Burrell, Taliek Brown, Oli
ver Macklin and Lyman DePriest also took part in the food drive, as well as the entire current UConn men’s basketball roster and several members of the Southern Connecticut State team. Burrell is SCSU’s head coach and Brown is UConn’s director of player development.
“It’s great, being able to spread awareness, making sure everyone has their mask on, being able to help people in need during this time,” said James Bouknight, UConn’s precocious sophomore star. “It’s been really hard for a lot of people, including myself. Just being able to get out here and help so many people, it feels like a success.”
Bouknight and his teammates spent nearly an hour loading boxes of food, dairy products and other items into cars.
“It means everything, honestly,” said UConn sophomore guard Jalen Gaffney, “because we’re giving back to the less fortunate. I’m fortunate enough, and I realize it every day, that I go to UConn, I have a scholarship. So, I’m taken care of. A lot of people, especially during this pandemic, don’t have a lot. A lot of people aren’t working, not a lot of food. I definitely feel grateful helping other people out.”
“I feel like we’re putting the ‘we’ before ‘me,’ and trying to help anybody who’s less fortunate and just brighten their day,” added SCSU senior forward Greg Jones. “It’s hard times for everybody due to COVID and other things, but I feel like doing this can help people see that there’s hope. I feel like it’s a very good thing for the community.”
The UConn and SCSU players seemed enthusiastic and truly happy to lend a hand. When one of the event’s organizers told the players that each would have a specific assignment at their respective stations, Bouknight jumped to his station and was quick to ask, “What’s my assignment?”
It’s all part of the increased leadership role the dynamic guard has assumed.
“Last year, I was just trying to lead with my game more, still learning,” Bouknight noted. “Now, I feel like I’m taking that step from learning to teaching others how to do what they need to do to be successful. I’m being more a vocal leader.”
The players had some good-natured fun at the event, as well. When sophomore Akok Akok walked about 25 feet away from his station to deliver a food package, a couple of teammates took notice.
“Akok, stay in your lane!,” they shouted, jokingly.
“You guys keep handing out all the boxes, man!,” the 6-foot-9 forward responded.
Soon after Smith hatched the idea of “Wear Ya Mask!” t-shirts and masks, he joined forces with Cindy Carrasquilla, public relations director at Haddad & Partners, a full-service, progressive design shop located in Fairfield. The company designed and processed the t-shirts and masks, pro bono, and they can be purchased at wearyamask13.com. Partial proceeds will benefit Foodshare, to help support future food distributions.
Combining Smith’s “Wear Ya Mask!” initiative with Thursday’s food drive seemed a natural fit.
Foodshare has held food drives at Rentschler since early May. They used to be five days a week but now are down to three. Foodshare, which serves Hartford and Tolland counties, has so far handed out 6.2 million pounds of food to more than 185,000 cars, according to CEO Jason Jakubowski.
“Having the guys come out here is so helpful, bringing awareness to what we’re doing, and also helping with distribution,” said Jakubowski, a 1999 UConn grad.
Indeed, with cars lined up for hundreds of yards for the event, which ran from 8:30 a.m. to noon, Jakubowski noted that Thursday’s was one of the biggest turnouts yet.
“It’s crazy,” said Burrell. “It’s sad, it’s really sad. I never thought it would be like this. During these tough times, you want to put a smile on someone’s face. A lot of people out there are struggling to make ends meet. Giving food is a last line. It’s sad to see, but it makes us feel good, and it puts a smile on peoples’ faces.”
RIM RATTLINGS
Practice officially begins on Friday for both UConn and SCSU. For Bouknight, it can’t come soon enough.
“Man, I’ve been waiting to play since March,” he said. “I’ve just been working my hardest. I feel like I’m my best player ever. I feel as strong I’ve ever been, as explosive. I feel like my shooting is at its highest, ballhandling. I’m just ready.”
UConn’s schedule is likely still at least a week away, but SCSU’s schedule is slated to be released on Friday. The Owls, a Division 2 program, will play an 18-game schedule by facing the six other teams in the league’s Southwest Division (New Haven, Adelphi, LeMoyne, Pace, American International and Saint Rose) three times each. The top two teams in the Southwest will play the top two in the Northeast Division in the conference tournament.
The season won’t begin until January, and Northeast-10 teams won’t play any non-conference teams.