TOUCHDOWN

Clemson quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, and fiance, Marissa Mowry, charged into overtime to provide hunger relief to struggling families in Bartow County and Upstate South Carolina.

“It is our responsibility to love and serve those around us, especially through this pandemic. We appreciate any and all efforts from you all. Every dollar makes a difference.” — Trevor Lawrence

In March, as the world slowed down and people across the globe began to experience the fallout resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, Trevor Lawrence and then-girlfriend, Marissa Mowry, felt compelled to do something. They setup a GoFundMe page to raise money for families in need, but the NCAA asked the couple to end their campaign citing a rule prohibiting student-athletes from using their name, image or likeness for crowd funding efforts.

Both are student-athletes who grew up in Cartersville. Lawrence is the superstar Clemson quarterback with a million-dollar smile and a heart of pure gold. Mowry, a gifted soccer player at Anderson University who is in her Junior year, sows seeds of kindness and is open about her strong faith and how her beliefs lead her to be of service to others.

With great disappointment, the couple took their GoFundMe page down, but the NCAA soon made an exception during the coronavirus outbreak and allowed the page to return.

“Shoutout to the NCAA,” Lawrence posted to his Instagram account soon after the decision. “Thank y’all so much for granting a waiver.”

Then he addressed his Instagram followers. “They’re allowing us to continue to raise money for what we were doing originally. So we’re gonna take some time and kind of think about how we’re going to restart it back up. We’re going to take the night and maybe some of tomorrow or whatever to figure out exactly how we want to do it to be as efficient and to help as many people as possible.”

The following day, David Aft, president of the Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia, received a phone call from board member Jennifer Wiggins-Mathews.

“Jennifer told me that she is a friend of the Lawrence family, and Trevor wanted to learn more about how the Foundation could assist him and his girlfriend in raising money to serve individuals and families affected by the pandemic, and also awarding those funds to vetted charities.”

Aft notes that he was quite impressed by the young couple.

“They asked thoughtful questions,” he says. “They were 100 percent engaged.” Within twenty-four hours, the Foundation launched the “Trevor Lawrence and Marissa Mowry COVID-19 Relief Fund” to raise money to provide direct assistance to families affected by the pandemic. “Marissa and I have created the Fund to help our friends and neighbors in the 12 Northwest Georgia GIVING Cartersville and Upstate South Carolina communities deal with some of the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 situation,” Lawrence tweeted at the time. “We hope others will join us in supporting the many families in need. These are challenging times, and no one should be left behind.”

Just after he posted the information on social media, donations began pouring into the Fund via the Foundation’s website.

“The donations have ranged from $5 to thousands,” Aft says. “Their ‘ask’ touched the hearts of so many across the country. These young people have learned that they can leverage their platform to do good in the world. It’s refreshing.”

The Fund is still actively accepting contributions. Donors may direct their funds to efforts in the Cartersville, Georgia area or to efforts in the Upstate South Carolina (Clemson and Anderson communities).

To date, the fund has collected $22,000. The couple awarded grants in July to organizations providing hunger assistance in the two communities cited.

“The needs will change over time, but we will work with trusted local charities to serve the communities we both love. Right now, we continue to assist families as they struggle with some pretty basic needs.” — Marissa Mowry

The Trevor Lawrence and Marissa Mowry COVID-19 Relief Fund has awarded grants to fight hunger in:

Bartow County Tabernacle Baptist Church NorthPointe Church Red Door Food Pantry The Church at Liberty Square

Upstate South Carolina The Lot Project Clemson Community Care Anderson Interfaith Ministries Rebuild Upstate

“In Bartow County, the funds were distributed to Tabernacle Baptist Church’s food pantry programs, NorthPointe Church in Adairsville, Red Door Food Pantry and The Church at Liberty Square,” Aft reports. In South Carolina, they partnered with The Lot Project, Clemson Community Care, Anderson Interfaith Ministries, and Rebuild Upstate to provide assistance to individuals and families who are food insecure.”

Both Lawrence and Mowry, who announced their engagement in July, state that their lives are guided by divine faith.

“We believe as Christians, it is our responsibility to love and serve those around us, especially through this pandemic,” Lawrence said. “We appreciate any and all efforts from you all. Every dollar makes a difference.”

“The needs will change over time, but we will work with trusted local charities to serve the communities we both love,” remarked Mowry. “Right now, we continue to assist families as they struggle with some pretty basic needs.”

In a 2019 interview with Sports Illustrated, Lawrence said his talent on the football field was a gift from God.

“I don’t think anyone has abilities for no reason,” Lawrence said. “I don’t think anything is coincidence. God gave me these things for a reason, not just talent on the field, but other opportunities to be a light to people.”

The couple regularly expresses their gratitude.

“Thank you all for your generosity and love,” Mowry noted. “If you don’t feel led to donate to our Fund, we encourage you to consider charities serving your own communities.”