JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — On Thursday night, Jaguars fans gathered at Strings Sports Brewery in Springfield for Jaguars All-Access featuring guests Trevor Lawrence and Josh Allen.
The Jaguars quarterback is coming off of a big win against the Ravens, and this weekend against the Detroit Lions he looks to wear special cleats to help promote Lift Jax and its work on Jacksonville’s Eastside.
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We had the opportunity to speak with two residents one of whom grew up on the Eastside. He said what Lawrence is doing is outstanding.
“I got to pat the guy on the back,” Roosevelt Dozier said.
The NFL 2016 rolled out an initiative called My Cause, My Cleats which allows players to wear cleats to support causes they are most passionate about.
Lawrence chose to partner with Lift Jax, an organization with a mission to eradicate generational poverty on Jacksonville’s Eastside.
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Dozier, who was born and raised on Jacksonville’s Eastside, said the area needs more attention and he’s glad Lawrence stepped up.
“Most jobs are across the bridge and people don’t have enough finances to be crossing to and from the bridge,” Dozier said.
During Thursday’s Jaguars all-access show, Lawrence explained the more he learned about Lift Jax, the more he wanted to be a part of its mission.
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“Really cool organization that has like four main areas that they work on. It’s housing, it’s financial vitality, health and wellness, and education,” Lawrence said.
Ken Miller, who is a Jaguars fan, said he’s also proud of the work Lawrence is doing in the Jacksonville community.
“Jacksonville is a big town. There are parts of town that aren’t as developed as other parts. I thank him getting involved in that cause is going to bring hopefully some new revitalization,” Miller said.
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Lift Jax has had several initiatives to help improve Jacksonville’s Eastside.
From working on restoring the Debs Store, which provides easy access to food for neighbors in the community, to even support long-time Eastside residents when it comes to making home improvements.
David Garfunkel, the president of Lift Jax, said he still has yet to wrap his head around how big the partnership is with Lawrence and what this Sunday means for their organization.
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“National television, picturing him running into the end zone with the pylon cam. We’re so grateful for Trevor and his wife Marissa for this opportunity,” Garfunkel said.
Dozier still said a lot has to be done.
“If we can bring more business to this side, in the community specifically Eastside. It will help a lot of people get employment,” Dozier said.
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