EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – As the holiday season kicks off, several Los Angeles professional sports teams are giving back to fans and the community with food drives and special dinners.
The Chargers held one of the more personal events Monday evening outside their practice facility in El Segundo, where kicker Cameron Dicker hosted a candlelit, four-course Thanksgiving dinner for more than 30 homeless individuals and families.
Guests dined alongside Chargers players and staff, sharing stories and a meal in what Dicker described as a banquet-style setting.
What they’re saying:
“It’s awesome to be able to celebrate with people, be a family in somebody’s life if they don’t have one around,” Dicker said.
The event was organized in partnership with the King’s Table Foundation, Dicker’s Wholeheartedly Foundation, and Vintage Malibu Church.
“When we sit down together, we understand without family, each one of us is one circumstance away from being on the streets ourselves,” said Lambert Lo of the King’s Table Foundation.
Several attendees spoke openly about recent hardships, including families who had spent nights on the streets with young children.
One mother told players through tears, “You guys are true answered prayers from God.”
Wide receiver Ladd McConkey, punter JK Scott, long snapper Josh Harris and offensive lineman Foster Sarell were among the Chargers who sat down for dinner shoulder to shoulder with guests.
Dicker emphasized the importance of service over self.
“A lot of the world is self-centered — focused on how can I help myself,” he said. “Biblically, it’s the other way around. We’re supposed to step out and help other people before yourself, and God will take care of everything.”
The evening ended with music, dancing and what appeared to be the debut of McConkey’s new touchdown celebration — with a little encouragement from guests.
The Source: Information for this story came from interviews with Cameron Dicker and those who attended the event.Â