Indiana Pacers reserve Joe Young visited an Indianapolis elementary school to help teach students the importance of eating healthy.
Joe Young has a diverse array of talents, and it seems gardening is among them.
On Tuesday, the backup guard accompanied Indiana Fever legend Tamika Catchings and current Fever center Natalie Achonwa to Thomas Gregg IPS #15, a local elementary school in Indianapolis, as part of an event orchestrated by Kitchen Community, a non-profit organization based in Indianapolis.
More from Pacers News
- 2 Studs, 1 dud from gut-wrenching Indiana Pacers loss to Charlotte Hornets
- Handing out early-season grades for Pacers’ Bruce Brown, Obi Toppin
- 3 positives, 2 negatives in Pacers In-Season Tournament win vs. Cavaliers
- 2 positives, 3 negatives from first week of Indiana Pacers basketball
- Should Isaiah Jackson’s days with Indiana Pacers be numbered?
The goal of the event was to teach students the importance of eating well and living a healthy lifestyle by experience. The three athletes helped the students plant fruits and vegetables in their very own Learning Garden and also talked about how important nutrition is and the benefits of eating healthy.
Kitchen Community established these Learning Gardens at schools all across the Indy area, and they’ve found that by seeing real, healthy food grow in person, students have an easier time living a healthier lifestyle and setting good nutrition habits. I’m guessing it doesn’t hurt when professional basketball players are planting fruits and vegetables with you as well.
Young had this to say about the experience:
"It’s great to get involved with kids, especially when they’re young at this age. It’s for the long run. You just don’t want to eat for your body right now. It’s all about how you want to live in 50 years or 60 years."
He also said that it wasn’t his first try at gardening, so perhaps we’ve found his true offseason passion. Regardless, it’s always great to see athletes get involved with improving their communities.
Next: What should the Pacers do with their rotation players?
Even though Young may not have had the biggest impact on the court last season, he certainly made a big impact on the students of Thomas Gregg IPS #15 and hopefully helped to make healthy eating a priority for years to come.