Ole Miss Athletes Volunteer at Oxford Food Pantry Through Wheels Up NIL Partnership

Wheels Up Champion Ambassadors comprised of Ole Miss student-athletes gathered for a worthy cause.

A Feeding America and a Morgan Wallen foundation sign sit on the side of trailer during a donation drive for hurricane victims organized by Second Harvest and the Morgan Wallen Foundation at the West Town Mall on Wednesday, October 9, 2024. / Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As part of a Wheels Up initiative with Feeding America, the official NIL collective of Ole Miss (the Grove Collective) worked with a group of student-athletes for a day of service. The Brandr Group was also apart of the action; supporting NIL collective groups in global initiatives for the benefit of students and their universities.

The athletes gathered at their local food pantry in Oxford, Miss. to provide food for families and individuals in need. By the end of the day, the student-athletes directly impacted over 200 families and community members in need of a meal.

The Meals Up program was first instituted in 2020 as a direct result of worldwide hunger caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Wheels Up has had a hand in providing over 90 million meals, and has priortized its community involvement through the Oxford Food Pantry.

With the opportunity to stand on this positive platform, Ole Miss student-athletes have been experiencing NIL in a positive light; exercising many new ways to give back to their community.

“Since the inception of this partnership, our athletes have felt the positive impact of giving back to the Oxford and Ole Miss community which is at the heart of our mission at The Grove Collective,” said Walker Jones, Executive Director, The Grove Collective, LLC.

The Ole Miss student-athletes that participated in this day of service are the official Wheels Up Champion Ambassadors. Their efforts to promote the campaign are awarded with compensation, as well as involvement in a worthy cause to impact the Ole Miss community.

The Grove Collective works closely with Ole Miss student-athletes to provide sound contracts that protect the athletes and the donors. In the partnership with Wheels Up and the Brandr Group, the Grove Collective has been able to elevate numerous students. Although this particular initiative wasn't in play until 2020, the ambassador group is growing, and will continue to be present in Oxford for years to come.

The Oxford Food Pantry is part of the Mississippi Food Network and is responsible for receiving donations, processing the donations, and distributing them to those that are in need. With the help of Ole Miss students, meals are able to hit the streets of Mississippi faster and more frequently. The initiative as a whole has increased the awareness and need of food in communities.

With Wheels Up involved in the partnership, funding and global awareness are in no shortage; Wheels Up does a great deal of work around the globe.

The Ole Miss student-athletes will continue their community work throughout their collegiate careers; spending their time improving the community on and off the field.