Washington Commanders WR Terry McLaurin Ramping Up D.C. Community Impact Efforts

On Friday the Washington Commanders star unveiled a new project he's partnered on with UnitedHealthcare.

Dec 24, 2022; Santa Clara, California, USA; Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) celebrates with wide receiver Cam Sims (89) after scoring a touchdown during the third quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports / Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

Terry McLaurin has accomplished a lot of things since joining the Washington Commanders via the 2019 NFL Draft.

One of the things he's most proud of, however, goes beyond what he's done for the Commanders and extends into his work in and around the Washington D.C. community.

On Friday, the Terry McLaurin Foundation took its next step towards being a more long-term partner of the community and unveiled Terry's Locker, stocked by UnitedHealthcare, at McKinley Middle School in Washington D.C.

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Dec 24, 2022; Santa Clara, California, USA; Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) celebrates with wide receiver Cam Sims (89) after scoring a touchdown during the third quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports / Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

"I wanted to start doing initiatives that could kind of be long-lasting and affect kids on a daily basis...And I believe this, Terry's Locker, is really going to provide an opportunity for them..."

- Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders WR

"We are extremely thankful for this opportunity," Assistant Principal Rasheda Webster said during the unveiling of the project. "We're looking forward to seeing this initiative live at McKinley. We're also looking forward to seeing it grow throughout our region."

In a joint media release from McLaurin's foundation and UnitedHealthcare the two organizations said, "This ceremony marks the beginning of a series of Terry’s Locker donations to public schools
across the Mid-Atlantic region. Terry McLaurin and UnitedHealthcare are committed to making a
lasting impact on the communities we serve by addressing the basic needs of students and
supporting their educational journey."

McLaurin himself talked about the desire to impact the community in more lasting ways than his other events have, which are commonly put together as one-time benefits rather than lasting initiatives.

"I wanted to start doing initiatives that could kind of be long-lasting and affect kids on a daily basis," McLaurin said. "And I believe this, Terry's Locker, is really going to provide an opportunity for them to have access and resources to clean clothes, clean toiletries, and just the basic hygienic necessities that they need so they can just come to school confident, they can be themselves, and they don't have to worry about coming to school without having the things that they need just to be able to come and learn."

In partnering with McLaurin, UnitedHealthcare is not only helping by providing items for the locker but is also already planning more locations as the project intends to impact more than just one school and as many kids who may need the assistance necessary to facilitate a confident and healthy learning environment.

"Access to personal hygiene products and cleanliness is a very important part of a kid's life. 80% of what happens from a health perspective happens outside of the doctor's office," UnitedHealth vice president of sales and account management Anton de Roo said during the ceremony. "There's initiatives like this that we can offer them access to products and resources that can help kids to just live their fullest life, both socially and academically...We want to recognize what Terry does for the community in D.C. and around the country providing resources like we do today. And it's a really good reflection of him as a professional sportsman, as a member of our community that we get this kind of support."

As Washington gets ready to put its football team back on the field for training camp next Wednesday McLaurin says he feels good and likes the direction the team is heading in. As focused on football as he is, however, he hasn't lost sight of his giving nature and drive to help others. Something he says has been present in him long before his NFL days, and a part of him that continues to keep McLaurin atop the list of fan favorites in the DMV.

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