Spirit of (Thanks) Giving

Driving from his downtown apartment to the airport on a recent evening, Nuggets power forward Kenyon Martin couldn’t help but notice the line of people waiting for a meal at the Denver Rescue Mission.

With the holidays approaching, he decided to be proactive.

“He approached us and said he wanted to help,” Denver Rescue Mission spokeswoman Greta Walker said. “At that time, we knew we were going to be short on turkey donations. He really stepped up and came through for us.”

On Monday, Martin presented the Rescue Mission with a $7,500 check to help meet the goal of collecting and distributing 6,000 Thanksgiving turkeys. He also put some muscle behind his money, unloading frozen birds from a Safeway truck parked outside the Lawrence Street shelter.

“I was driving by one day and it just hit me instantly that it was something I felt I needed to do,” Martin said. “Just knowing what time of year it is, it’s the least I can do.”

The immediate impact of Martin’s contribution was clear as he shook hands, posed for pictures and signed autographs for participants of the New Life rehabilitation program. About 40 men live and work at the shelter as part of a transition program to help them get back on their feet.

“It’s a blessing. It really is,” said Rescue Mission resident Cliff Sudberry. “That’s what you’re supposed to do – share the wealth with people who don’t have it. All the blessings come from God. If it wasn’t for God, he wouldn’t have got it.”

Growing up in the housing projects of Oak Cliff, Texas, Martin spent Thanksgiving primarily with his mom Lydia Moore and his sister Tamara. They would eat dinner and watch the Dallas Cowboys on a black-and-white TV that often required a wire clothes hanger to improve the signal.

“You cherish everything a lot more when you look back on it,” Martin said. “You don’t realize that you’re poor then because everybody around you is the same. Now, a lot of things have changed for me, so I try to make sure I do stuff that’s positive – staying out of trouble and making sure I’m a positive role model.”

Last December, Martin established his own foundation aimed at providing assistance and guidance for teen parents and single parents. He’s also actively involved with the American Institute for Stuttering and is an ambassador for the March of Dimes’ efforts to increase awareness and prevention of premature births.

The charitable activities are a contradiction to his tough, intimidating persona on the court, but they reflect his beliefs and values beyond basketball.

“I’ve seen him on the court. He’s great on the court,” Walker said. “It’s always fun to see these guys off the court and see what they’re doing in the community and that they do have lives outside of playing their sport.”

Martin’s not alone in his community efforts. Teammate Carmelo Anthony is partnering with Feed the Children to distribute more than 400 meals to Denver families served by the Johnson Branch of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Denver.

As the temperature fell after dusk Monday, Anthony stood outside for more than two hours, placing boxed meals in the trunks of cars as they came down 16th Avenue.

“It means a lot to me to be able to give back to the people in the Denver community,” Anthony said.

Through the Carmelo Cares Foundation, Anthony is also coordinating a similar event in Baltimore, where he spent the majority of his youth.