ORLANDO – Wendell Carter Jr. was full of surprises on Tuesday.
First, fans received the exciting news that the Orlando Magic center was no longer on the team’s injury report, signaling that he would make his return from a 20-game absence against the Miami Heat.
Later in the evening, Carter surprised 95 youth from the Boys to Men Mentoring organization with a holiday party. Carter through A Platform² Foundation, which he created along with his parents Wendell Carter Sr. and Kylia Carter, hosted the children for a holiday dinner at Planet Hollywood at Disney Springs.
“It’s great to have an event for all the kids,” said Carter. “I’m partnered with Boys to Men – a charity organization that I partnered with when I first got to Orlando. This is our second annual Christmas event. I’m excited just to be here and give a little bit of holiday spirit leading into Christmas."
It was the second annual holiday party that Carter and his family have hosted for children from the Boys to Men Mentoring program – a nonprofit organization committed to creating communities of empowerment for all teenage boys on their journey to manhood. Along with a meal provided by Planet Hollywood, the children also received a holiday gift bag filled with goodies from Carter, the Magic, Rock ‘Em Socks and AdventHealth.
“It’s something that my mom and dad have instilled in me growing up,” he explained. “It’s just a perfect opportunity for me to give back. A lot of kids are not able to have the type of Christmas that they would want, so I just try to find ways and different avenues to help them. I just see it as a perfect opportunity. It’s about family this time of year. I just try to bring a little bit of that feeling to some of the kids during the season.”
Carter’s commitment to charitable work throughout the Central Florida region is a big reason why he’s the reigning recipient of the Rich & Helen DeVos Community Enrichment Award, handed out annually to the Magic player that’s made the biggest impact off the court in enhancing other's lives.
“It’s the next best thing after playing basketball,” he explained. “For this organization, it’s all about the community. That’s something that I really love about Orlando since I got traded here. The DeVos family really takes a lot of pride in helping the surrounding areas of Orlando. So, I’m just excited to be on a team where everyone cares about it in their own way.”
While Carter was busy with off-the-court endeavors on Tuesday night, he’s thrilled to finally be able to return to action and make an impact on the court on Wednesday. After being sidelined for over a month (left hand; fractured third metacarpal), Carter is expected to take the floor for the Magic when they host the Heat.
“I’m super excited,” he said with a wide-stretched smile. “I’m glad it lined up for me to come back in front of the fans (in Orlando). It’s going to give us a little extra juice that we may need (on Wednesday). But it’s just good to be back out there with my brothers, who’ve been fighting for those games that I was out. I’m just glad to be back out there and I’ll try to get us a W tomorrow.”