Being that it is now November, the season of giving is officially here and Chris Hairston is kicking the month off with a shoe drive on Friday, November 4 at Rosewood San Diego.
"We're gathering shoes and want people to come out and have a good time," Hairston said. "We want to have a positive event for people to come and see what we're doing."
The offensive tackle is looking for fans to bring new or slightly used kids' shoes in all sizes. Shoes received will be donated to children at local schools. For each pair donated, fans will receive a raffle ticket to be entered to win prizes including autographed items, game tickets and more.
While Hairston is one of the most active Chargers on social media, he understands that there is a tremendous responsibility that comes with being a professional athlete. His event on Friday is one way he hopes to make a difference in lives for the better.
"I want to make my presence known. Because of who we are, you have to embrace being a role model if you want to affect change."
Affecting change runs deep for Hairston. He grew up in a single-parent household near Winston-Salem, North Carolina and saw his mother, a teacher, work as hard as she could to provide the best possible life for him. This event is his way of "repaying" his mother for what she did for others.
"Growing up, (my mother) had a daycare. It was about 40 kids, and it was in a low income area. I saw my mom helping kids who didn't have a lot, bathing kids who might come in dirty and getting them an extra pair of clothes to send home because things might not be as good as they were in our home."
As for what Hairston hopes for the event?
"I want the fans to hopefully get on board and do whatever they (can) do to help the kids."
