Mekai Dare is set to graduate from Buffalo State on Saturday.
This is usually a time to look forward, but he says not before giving back.
"I live on the Eastside over by Canisius and that's the closest grocery store to us. I just think that with all that's been going on in the past couple of days it would be nice to see something positive happen in the community."
Dare is from Cohoes, New York near Albany, and says that living in Buffalo reminds him of home.
"The city of good neighbors you know? It reminds me a lot of home."
The "Buffalo Neighborhood Food Drive" will raise money to support the City Mission's efforts to provide relief to those impacted by Saturday's shooting in the Jefferson Avenue area. His gofundme campaign has raised close to $1,000 and there are donation boxes set up at Signature Cutz barbershop on Main Street, and Southern Tier Brewing Company on Scott Street.
Dare played forward for the Bengals basketball team during the 2019-20 season, and in the following year, the season was suspended due to COVID.
He hopes to pursue a career in photography and videography.
Click here for the gofundme link to the drive.
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