Hundreds of students were treated to a special surprise giveaway in Harlem on Tuesday, where they got to meet celebrities in the sports and music industries who were handing out swag.
June 27 marked the inaugural Merch Madness, a fan giveaway event that took place in five states as part of Fanatics’ Global Volunteer Day. Fanatics, a sports clothing outlet, said it would be giving away 300,000 pieces of licensed clothing worth about $20 million to more than 100,000 underserved youth.
The Harlem event was held at Frederick Douglass Academy where the youngsters were surprised to meet the likes of football superstar Eli Manning, hip-hop artist Lil Baby, rapper, Meek Mill, and more. The children erupted in uncontrolled excitement when they received the free apparel.
The school’s gymnasium was transformed into a free boutique with caps on racks and bags full of goodies. The elated scholars picked out hats before receiving bags, jerseys, t-shirts, and more.
The students smiled from ear to ear as they stepped onto their tiptoes in anticipation of meeting their idols. They took selfies with the celebrities and collected autographs.
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