Lions' Jameson Williams supports local youth during 'Jamo Day' festivities

Jameson Williams has hosted several football camps and community events since the Detroit Lions drafted him in 2022.

But Sunday’s event on Detroit’s east side may have been his most extravagant.

At Forest Park on E. Canfield, the wide receiver held “Jamo Day,” a back-to-school event through his Jameson Williams Foundation. The community giveback event distributed more than 500 backpacks along with free school supplies, food from vendors, and entertainment that included bounce houses, horses, goats, and other attractions.

The goal was to ensure everything was free and accessible for low-income families.

“I think it’s really important because some cities are rough. A lot of kids don’t really see the things that they can do while taking sports serious,” Williams told MLive. “That’s really why I do it, just to show them I’m just like you, and you can do it too.

“I’ve been in the same situations. I took sports way (more seriously) than most, and I knew that that was my way to break away. So that’s why I really do it, (to) show my face to the community, multiple communities, and show that I’m just like them.”

Williams credited his mother, Tianna, for orchestrating the event. She chose the location through her connections in Detroit.

“I just told her I wanted to do a back-to-school drive. So everything you see out here, from the 500 book bags to the petting zoo, the horses, the goats, food trucks, everything is her,” Williams said. “My name is just on it. So big shout-out to my mama.”

Williams’ mother partnered with Detroit natives Corey and Kierra Childs of the Child’s Play Foundation.

Child’s Play is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that helps marginalized youth by covering costs such as registration, travel, and equipment so they can play sports. The group also hosts football and cheer camps, runs Detroit Debate to teach debate skills, and organizes a male mental health symposium for athletes.

The organization connected with Williams through The Athlete Collective, which shared his desire to hold a community event. With Forest Park already adopted by their foundation, they quickly agreed to collaborate.

“We knew that Jamo would love to be able to be in the heart of the community in Detroit right here,” CFP executive director Kierra Childs told MLive. “And so when they said it, we said absolutely. They partnered with us on the events for the ‘I Am Quarterback’ camp, and Jameson Williams just recently signed with them as one of their agencies. And so we had no choice but to say yes.”

Childs, 43, is a native Detroiter. She said her organization adopted Forest Park because it sits in a neighborhood with many low-income families, and she wanted to make sure those kids could benefit from events held there.

With Williams being a St. Louis native, his decision to invest in Detroit’s inner city struck a chord with her.

“For someone like Jameson Williams, who’s not here from Detroit and wants to be able to give back to the community, that says a lot about his character,” Childs said. “That says a lot about him as a man, as an individual, and his love for Detroit. So the love he has for Detroit and wanting to pour into our community, that’s amazing to us because there aren’t a lot of people that do that.

“A lot of people do go back to their hometowns only and don’t give back to the city that they’re playing in. And for Jamo to come and put on this big event to make sure kids have free school supplies, free book bags, free food, free snacks, free trinkets, and a petting zoo shows a lot about him. And we appreciate that.”

By hosting events like this, showing up at high school games, and even popping up at various coney island locations for a late-night bite, Williams has become a fan favorite for his connection with Detroiters.

“It means a lot,” Williams said. “It just shows me I’m loved where I’m at, and that’s the main thing.”