Courtesy of North Carolina Central Athletic Communications


DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central Department of Athletics, the Durham Bulls, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) have teamed up for a six-week outreach program to deliver professionally-prepared meals to the youth at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Durham and Orange Counties.
 
Each weekday for six consecutive weeks, which started Sept. 8 and runs through Oct. 16, representatives from NCCU Athletics, the Durham Bulls and Blue Cross NC will deliver fresh lunches created and packaged by Blue Cross NC's cafeteria vendor, Compass.
 
"We are proud to team up with these partners to make a difference in the Durham community," said Cheryl Parquet, director of community engagement and marketing activation at Blue Cross NC. "The Boys & Girls Clubs are essential for many Durham families, and its essential that we support them during this time."
 
This collaboration will help the Boys & Girls Clubs save up to three hours daily on meal preparation time and provide the kids with a warm, healthy meal and entertainment from the Bulls and NCCU. Through the duration of the program, 2,166 lunches will be provided to the kids at the Boys & Girls Clubs, located at 1010 Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway in Durham.
 
"We are excited to partner with Blue Cross North Carolina to serve our local youth," NCCU Director of Athletics Dr. Ingrid Wicker McCree said. "It is important that our student-athletes and coaches continue to serve our community, especially during this time of need.  This initiative is in alignment with our strategic goals of not only helping our student-athletes stay healthy, but those in our region as well."