How Haslem’s essay is helping Miami. And Herro on his braided look and Hurricanes sweater
Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem continues to make an impact in his hometown.
The story behind Haslem’s latest contribution to the South Florida community starts with an essay the Miami native wrote for The Players’ Tribune in March. The piece shined a light on a vulnerable population that he felt had gone overlooked amid the coronavirus crisis: Children in families living below the poverty line.
Just hours later in a City of Miami Commission meeting, Commissioner Ken Russell brought up Haslem’s message and called for action to help feed children in need during the pandemic. By the end of the commission meeting, there was a commitment to allocate $1 million to feed families in need around the city.
“I was surprised how fast everything happened,” Haslem said Wednesday. “I literally started getting phone calls and emails and text messages about the situation that was happening with Commissioner Russell and the City of Miami and everything. I was definitely surprised with how fast it happened. ... I was happy that I was able to give some insight on what was going on with the people in the inner city and the community, so the commissioners and the City of Miami can know how to move and what to do.”
Russell then partnered with the Udonis Haslem Children’s Foundation and Stock-Up Mart to offer groceries and meals to out-of-work families directly affected by COVID-19 in his district.
On Wednesday, the initiative dubbed “Power Forward Through Hunger” began when Haslem, Russell and Stock-Up Mart donated a week’s worth of groceries to 100 families in need during a drive-through event at Biscayne Park in Edgewater.
“It felt great,” Haslem said after passing out groceries Wednesday afternoon. “When The Players’ Tribune first came to me with the opportunity to write the letter, it was just an opportunity to speak from the heart and just be a voice for the people over the bridge. Now it has grown bigger than just being a voice for those people. It has grown into the city taking action, the city coming together.”
The City of Miami identified 100 families in District 2 who have recently lost their jobs and invited them to receive this first round of donations, which includes a week’s worth of fresh produce, pantry staples, and hot meals.
And Wednesday was just the beginning.
“We’re going to continue to work and do more. It’s not over yet,” Haslem emphasized. “It’s just the beginning. ... From my side and what we can do from our foundation, and from Commissioner Russell’s side and what they can do, we’re going to continue to collab and figure this out.”
LATEST ON TYLER HERRO’S HAIR
First, Jason Jackson introduced him as “Mr. Hairdo” and then Tyler Herro unveiled another surprise: the braided head of hair, which took social media by storm over the weekend, is gone.
“Man!” the Miami Heat’s courtside reporter said when Herro logged in for an Instagram Live chat Tuesday and unveiled his unbraided, unkempt hair. “That’s different.”
On Friday, a photo of Herro getting his hair cut circulated on Twitter. The photo revealed an unorthodox hairstyle — the rookie shaved the sides of his heads and braided the top.
Apparently, it wasn’t the first time the wing tried out the look.
“I actually had braids earlier in the season, I just didn’t like put them on social media or anything like that,” Herro said. “I took them out, obviously before playing in a game and stuff like that — I just wanted to see how they look.”
On Monday, Herro did something of a public reveal.
Posing in front of some sort of mural, Herro donned a retro Miami Hurricanes sweatshirt and showed off the braided look in a series of photos posted on Instagram.
“Don’t play wit em like that dawggie,” center Kelly Olynyk commented.
“U certified out here killa,” Haslem added.
Herro said he FaceTimed with forwards Bam Adebayo and Derrick Jones Jr. while he still had his hair braided, and neither of them were shocked by it.
“They know who I am,” Herro said. “I don’t really see them as a problem. I’ve seen some people don’t like them, but I love them. I feel like they look great on me and I’m going to get them back soon.
“They were hurting the back of my head. They started hurting after a couple days, so I had to take them out.”
As for the Hurricanes sweatshirt, Herro said it’s just par for the course for what he has done since arriving in Miami in June.
Last month, Herro posted a photo of himself wearing a Miami Marlins jersey and he has fully embraced the South Florida lifestyle, which means embracing the Hurricanes, too.
“I’m in Miami, so I feel like I’ve got to support always,” Herro said. “I’m always here to support, so I feel like while I’m in Miami — which I hope is for a while, a long time, forever — I’ll be able to rep Miami and everything that’s going on here.”
This story was originally published May 13, 2020 at 1:06 PM.
