Baltimore Ravens wide receiver LaQuan Williams gave back to his hometown of Baltimore this weekend. He hosted two events to raise funds for his charity, The LaQuan Williams Foundation (LWF). LWF provides structural programming for adolescents and youth in Baltimore.
The Friday night launch party was held at Jimmy’s Famous Seafood in Dundalk, Maryland. The party was an informal gathering of Williams’ friends and fans. There were games and a silent auction, attendees had the chance to bid on autographed Ravens memorabilia. Williams’ teammate and fellow wide receiver, Torrey Smith attended the party.
Fans had the opportunity to meet the players and interact with them in an intimate setting.
The celebrity basketball game was held on Saturday and all funds went to LWF. The game featured professional athletes and entertainers. VIP athletes attended and/or played in the basketball game. Some notable attendees included Ravens’ Torrey Smith, Lardarius Webb and Tyrod Taylor, Houston Texan Bryant Johnson and Philadelphia Eagle Jaiquwan Jerrett. There were also professional basketball players including Baltimore bred, Memphis Grizzlies Josh Selby and Sacramento Kings Donte Greene.
I attended the launch party and the basketball game. A good time was had by all. I had the chance to meet Williams and Smith . I thanked Williams for hosting the events and asked about his plans for the final weeks before training camp. He told me that his training starts Monday, back to work for him.
I told Smith that one of my favorite plays from last season was his game-winning touchdown in Pittsburgh. My friend mentioned that as fans, we feel the rivalry between them and the Steelers and asked if the players felt it too. She also asked if game prep was different for those games. Smith said yes, they definitely feel the rivalry and that the game prep is more intense with more trash talking.
Both events were fun. It was cool seeing Williams play basketball with his friends, everyone looked like they had fun in the relaxed atmosphere.
Williams was born and bred in Baltimore and attended Poly and the University of Maryland. The Ravens signed him as an undrafted free agent last season and while he didn’t see much playing time in 2011, he will complete to be the No. 3 receiver this season.
Zennie Abraham