Trail Blazers and Black Parents Initiate host shopping spree for families

The Portland Trail Blazers let their inner child shine Thursday after practice.

Blazers players and coaching staff hosted eight families through the Black Parent Initiative for a shopping spree and scavenger hunt at the Tualatin Fred Meyers near Interstate 5.

Blazers matched up with families and walked around the store scooping up food, toys, electronics, and whatever else the families desired.

“The families get to come, they shop for the holidays, they are gifted with gift cards that have an allotted amount on them and then the families get to just do some really cool shopping,” said Leigh Bohannon, community outreach and resource manager for Black Parent Initiative. “And they are paired up with Blazers, with coaching staff, with Trail Blazers staff. It’s like a really fun event to kind of release some stress for the holidays … It’s a really nice event for the families that deserve it.”

The Blazers host the Utah Jazz at 7 p.m. Friday.

Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said the team looks forward to this event each year.

“Our guys light up for this thing,” Billups said. “So many families that are just so excited to meet the guys. But also be able to shop and get things that they need for the holiday season. This is always one of those things that fills your cup.”

The players roamed the store with their families, shopping for items and participating in a scavenger hunt while constantly smiling.

“It’s always good to see the kids and the families be able to enjoy the holiday season,” Blazers forward Jerami Grant said. “Just to be able to give back is gratifying.”

Jabari Walker said the mental break from basketball is enjoyable for the players, who enjoyed hanging out with fans.

“I think it’s huge,” he said. “These are the people that make it go. Our fans and the people that look up to us. And to be able to be around them and show them that we’re just regular people who are just really good at basketball, so to be able to be around them is huge for us.”

It can be surprising, Walker said, to see how fans react to the team.

“We’re just around family so much sometimes that we don’t get to see how the outside world really appreciates us,” Walker said. “Just seeing that and how much an autograph just changes their day, or a picture just makes them smile.”

Jabari Walker said it’s important for players to keep in mind how much they would have enjoyed similar events as children.

“It’s a breath of fresh air just to be outside of the facility to interact with real-life people who care about us and watch us play all the time,” Walker said.

So, who is the biggest kid on the team? Deandre Ayton is certainly in contention on a young roster.

“DA is up there,” Grant said with a smile. I think we all got a little bit of kid in us … We got a lot of actual kids on our team.”