Panthers host annual Joy to the Carolinas event

CHARLOTTE — The blue carpet entrance, with a touch of snow, was only the start of Tuesday’s event at Bank of America Stadium.

Inside, stadium halls were decked out with holiday cheer for what’s now year seven of Joy to the Carolinas. For one night, the David and Nicole Tepper Foundation, the Panthers and Coca-Cola Consolidated all team up to host more than 1,000 kids from across the region. Many of whom are underserved and identified through Second Harvest Food Bank.

“Well you know, the need has been really great this year,” said CEO Kay Carter. “We’ve had a lot of things working against us.”

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“It’s why we started it. It’s that time of year where there’s stresses and there’s families that are in need,” said Nicole Tepper. “It’s that extra one thing, one less thing that they have to worry about.”

The goal here: to exchange worry, with wonder. Panthers players, staff and the front office were all there to help.

“I don’t think we ever had 60+ guys here,” said David Tepper. “Not just rookies, but look and see who’s here.”

“I didn’t grow up with everything, so a lot of these kids are in the same situation I grew up in,” said Panthers’ defensive tackle Derrick Brown.

“There’s an understanding of winning culture goes more than just points on the scoreboard,” said Panthers’ center Austin Corbett. “It is everything that you do.”

“It’s really cool. Obviously, we spent a lot of time at work and being in our routine and being able to have a night like this, it’s cool,” said Bryce Young, Panthers’ quarterback. “Everyone looks forward to it, the sign ups for it. They fill up right away.”

“To be able to set them up with coats and toys and food and an experience that they will probably never forget, hopefully we’re able to show the players and the people that are volunteering to pay it forward,” said Nicole Tepper. “And that’s really the whole story.”

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