North Charlotte Today

The annual 'Joy to the Carolinas' event returned to Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, hosted by the David & Nicole Tepper Foundation and the Carolina Panthers. Over 700 underserved local youth participated in the event on Tuesday.

Forty-six current Panthers players, including Bryce Young, Adam Thielen, Chuba Hubbard, A'Shawn Robinson, and Xavier Legette, gathered at the stadium's lower lobby. They wore jerseys and Carolina blue Santa hats as they welcomed children to this year's event. David Tepper reminded everyone of the night's purpose: "For these kids, this is their Super Bowl," he said. "You guys are making their day, making their year. You should find some joy in that."

Children were greeted by TopCats cheerleaders and Sir Purr at a Winter Wonderland entrance before heading upstairs for gifts and meals distributed by players and volunteers. Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina identified deserving students from regional Boys and Girls Clubs and YMCA programs through its Kids Café Program.

Natalya McCallum from Stratford Richardson YMCA emphasized the impact of such events: "We're so thankful for the Carolina Panthers. The 'heart' work is what makes the hard work super-duper easy," she said.

Participants received winter gear provided by Belk, toys from "Toyland," shoes from "Shoe-ville," and enjoyed activities on a field decorated with inflatables. Volunteers served holiday dinners supported by Coca-Cola Consolidated, Harris Teeter, and US Foods.

Nicole Tepper expressed her gratitude for those who attended: "It just shows that we're a family... Community is really important." At night's end, organizations received gift cards from Harris Teeter and passes to Light the Knights courtesy of Coca-Cola Consolidated.

Panthers rookie Xavier Legette appreciated meeting young fans: "I think it's a lot of the kids' first time being able to meet guys like this." Bryce Young echoed similar sentiments about giving back to the community.

Families of players also participated in serving others during the event. Adam Thielen explained why it was essential for his children to be involved: "We try to tell them there's kids out there that don't have an extravagant Christmas... So obviously we try to bring them to as many events as we can."

A special rendition of Joy to the Carolinas visited Western North Carolina earlier this month after Hurricane Helene affected the area. This year's split event brought it back full circle to Bank of America Stadium—where it began in 2019—after previous years at other venues.

Nicole Tepper noted how meaningful it was for families attending Joy to choose their gifts rather than simply receiving them: "...they get something handed to them... But when they're here at Joy to the Carolinas... it's about them too."

As attendees departed late Tuesday night amid echoes of laughter throughout stadium halls—it truly sounded like joy had filled every corner once again.