Pivot Foundation, Y team for back-to-school giveaway

ALBANY — Now that the severity of the pandemic has subsided significantly in southwest Georgia, a group of civic-minded entrepreneurs is joining with the Albany Area YMCA to help kids have a positive start to the new school year.

The Pivot Family Foundation, whose principles include businessmen Jay Sharpe and Darrell Finnicum and former NBA player Dontonio Wingfield, is teaming with the Y for a back-to-school extravaganza that includes free school supplies, bookbags, food, hair cuts, ice cream, games, local comedian Tay the Funniest and voter registration for adults.

The event will be held Saturday at Henderson Gym at 701 Willard St. from 9:30 a.m.-noon.

“We’ve been an active part of the community (through the giveaway) nine or 10 of the last 16 years,” Wingfield said of the Pivot Albany Hawks youth basketball program he heads. “We want to help the kids get off on the right foot as they start another school year.”

Wingfield said members of his Hawks programs recently completed a 30-day camp that was held at Henderson Gym.

“Tessa Newberry, who is the youth development director at the Y, reached out to us to get involved in the Saturday program,” Wingfield said. “I talked with Jay and Darrell about it; we were all happy to get involved.”

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