It was a typical Monday at a local Safeway when shoppers walked down the cereal aisle and were greeted by an employee with “Terry” on his nametag. This employee was actually Washington Commanders All-Pro wide receiver, Terry McLaurin.
McLaurin was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, and attended his four years at The Ohio State University. McLaurin has always had a passion for football, even becoming the team captain at The Ohio State for two years in a row.
“I had a conversation with my coach back in college and I always wanted to be in the National Football League (NFL) and have a chance to play at the highest level,” said McLaurin.
After he graduated from The Ohio State, McLaurin was drafted by the Washington Commanders in 2019, and is now the eighth highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL. McLaurin not only has a love for football, but also enjoys helping his community.
“I’m really passionate about the community and the foundation that has made me who I am today,” said McLaurin.
This dedication to better the community drove McLaurin to create the Terry McLaurin Foundation. This foundation focuses on serving disadvantaged youth in the DC area by hosting fundraisers, holding McLaurin’s annual Birthday celebration, and launching the Dream Catcher Fund to fulfill special requests for the less-fortunate children. These special requests are anything from sports equipment to funding for college application fees.
“Part of my platform and purpose on this earth is to be a good influence and try to impact people in a positive way. I have a passion for that and I look forward to these events and being able to support people,” said McLaurin.
McLaurin worked with PLB Sports and Entertainment to create Crunch Time Flakes, a new cereal. At a local Safeway, McLaurin decided to surprise shoppers with signed cereal boxes and pictures to give back to the fans for their support. While this event was not specifically organized for his foundation, a portion of the profits generated from Crunch Time Flakes was directed towards the Terry McLaurin Foundation.
McLaurin enjoyed working with the PLB Sports and Entertainment team. Because PLB previously collaborated with Athletes such as Josh Allen and Breece Hall, McLaurin saw creating Crunch Time Flakes as a great opportunity in his career.
“Rider and the whole team have been great to work with from the start and [they] really allowed me to [bring my] artistic abilities to life,” said McLaurin. “When you work with a company that is first class and you see other top athletes working with them, it says a lot about that company”.
After seeing the success of the Terry McLaurin Foundation and Crunch Time Flakes, McLaurin plans to expand his impact to other communities. With the foundation primarily focusing on the DC area, McLaurin wants to broaden his reach across the country, specifically to his hometown, Indianapolis.
“Working with Chris and my team has been great because we are really trying to think how we can better, not just the DMV, but where I’m from, and hopefully continue to spread it wide. I don’t know what’s next but that’s definitely it,” said McLaurin.
Crunch Time Flakes is available at all Safeway Mid-Atlantic Region stores or at plbse.com where the boxes are for sale along with products of other athletes and entertainers.
