BOSTON – On Wednesday afternoon, 50 kids from the Roxbury Boys and Girls Club of Boston thought they were headed for a simple afternoon of bowling and pizza.
But, just a few minutes into their time at Brighton Bowl, the unexpected arrivals began.
First, former Celtics champion Leon Powe arrived, alongside Celtics mascot Lucky and a team of Celtics dancers.
Then, moments later, Luka Garza, Neemias Queta, and Jordan Walsh all showed up to the scene to greet the youth, who immediately clamored for selfies,
autographs, and fist bumps.
The event, sponsored by Xfinity, culminated in every kid receiving a new pair of JBL headphones — and featured heated bowling competitions, Uno battles, and a photobooth station where kids took silly photos with the athletes.
“I think it’s great,” Walsh said. “It’s not costing anybody here anything – we’re just here to come out, give support, show love, and then make some kids’ days, take pictures.”
The trio of Celtics players was just hours removed from a Tuesday night game in Brooklyn – they got home after 2 am, and Wednesday was meant to be an off day, their first in almost a week. Walsh spent it cleaning his house and playing video games, while Garza watched some Netflix and went to Newbury Street for lunch.
Then, as dusk neared, Walsh, Queta, and Garza headed to the bowling alley for the big surprise.
“There’s nothing better to do – if you have time, if you have the resources, you should give back,” Walsh said.
The afternoon featured several moments of intense competition
For one, the three Celtics played in a lengthy Uno against a handful of kids from the Boys and Girls Club. All three players ended up losing to one of the kids, though they (jokingly) had trouble accepting defeat.
“Man, I was competing,” said Walsh, who was particularly locked into the drawn-out card battle.
“Kind of a questionable ending,” said Garza, who pointed out that no one actually finished with just a single card.
Then, toward the end of the evening, the youth competed in a one-shot bowling competition for a chance to win basketballs signed by the three Celtics players.
The kids were split into different bowling lanes – each headlined by one Celtics player – and each group picked a representative to bowl for them. The bowler who recorded the highest score would then win autographed basketballs for the rest of their group.
Walsh’s group ended up victorious, with a young kid named Jeremiah finishing as the only bowler to hit any pins in the competition (the other four competitors finished with gutter balls).
Walsh was eager to relive his group’s victorious finish.
“The moment came. There was no pressure, you feel me?” Walsh said of Jeremiah’s shot. “He took advantage. Everybody else felt a little pressure. Jeremiah stepped up like – he’s the man.”
Walsh laughed when asked if he could foresee if Jeremiah had winning qualities in advance.
“You know, it was weird. He didn’t even want to bowl,” Walsh said. “He didn’t want to bowl at all. I was like, ‘Bro, you got this.’ And he was like, ‘You know what? I’m gonna strike.’ He got five. That was good enough. That’s all it took.”
Garza, Queta, and Powe’s groups all went scoreless.
“It hurts the [bowling] legacy,” Garza said jokingly. “Hurts bad.”
Still, Garza — the newest arriving Celtic in the trio — took more selfies with the kids than any of the participating players. At one point, a line had formed to take photos with the former Iowa star.
“With the little kids looking up to guys on the Celtics, it doesn’t matter who you are,” Garza said. “Just putting that name across the chest, you automatically become a role model. So you have to step into that. And obviously, when you get a chance to interact with them, try to make a positive impact.”
For the trio of Celtics players, the decision to attend Wednesday’s event was a no-brainer.
“I try to stay at home as much as possible, but something like this for events – it’s something fun,” Walsh said. “Like, it’s bowling, that’s super fun. Who has anything better to be doing right now? So, like, why not be here? I’d be at home playing the game or something. So, coming here and being a part of this is something special, and I would never pass up this opportunity.”
Garza is not as much of a homebody – he’s been exploring Boston quite a bit since arriving over the summer.
And, the bowling event was another chance to immerse deeper into the community.
“The city is amazing,” he said. “I love it here. It’s awesome to see how the community embraces the Celtics. And it’s awesome that we have the chance to give back and do the same to them. Their support of us is incredible.”
