CLEVELAND — Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen is a self-proclaimed "frugal" man, and while that doesn't stop him from giving back, it has inspired him to teach critical math and budgeting skills to the next generation. That's been the mission of Allen's annual Meals + Math Thanksgiving event, which he held in Cleveland once again on Thursday.
Allen invited a group of kids from Urban Community School to Giant Eagle on West 117th Street Thursday, providing 25 children with a $200 gift card to shop for their families ahead of the upcoming holiday. The only catch? They had to make sure to stay under their budget.
The kids were given a sample grocery list and a calculator, able to buy whatever they wanted but having to make sure they tracked what they were buying as to not go over their $200.
"You can just go and give kids a $100 gift card, a $200 gift card, but for me, we add a twist to it. We give them a $200 gift card and a calculator so that they can budget meals. We just try to give an extra twist to not only help but make sure that they have a memory to bring home," Allen said.
The Cavs center—who is off for the next three days on a well-deserved break after starting the season 16-1 and averaging 14.4 points and 10.9 rebounds while shooting 68.5% from the field—spent his day off with the kids. Allen helped kids pick out items, add up totals and check out.
Allen was proud of the kids, who might have strayed from the Thanksgiving theme for some snacks and treats here and there but all stayed under budget, able to take the balance left on their $200 gift card home with them.
"They did okay, all of them stayed on their budget," Allen smiled. "There's a lot of non-Thanksgiving items in the in the shopping carts, but overall they did excellent."
The kids were excited to get to shop with a Cavs star, many of them in awe of his size, standing at 6'9" (6'9.5" if you ask Allen, who said his hair "does wonders" for the height). Allen signed t-shirts as the kids checked out, taking pictures and handing out high fives to the young, money-savvy shoppers.
But even more, the kids were excited to take carts full of groceries back to their families.
"This is for you mom, I'm buying all the Thanksgiving food. You don't have to go to the store, I'm thankful for you for bringing me to earth, that's why I'm here now," one boy said to the camera while shopping.
And that, Allen said, is why he does this event every year.
"I know it's tough to reach every single corner of the world, but we still want to look out for everybody. There's still people in this world that want to help, and you can still go out and have a good time with your family, you know, you can still have a good Thanksgiving. It might be tough to budget, but it's the year of Thanksgiving."
