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Saints lineman Andrus Peat giving back to Valley youth

How the New Orleans Saints lineman’s nonprofit Peat’s Purpose is benefitting his community

PHOENIX — Sports fans in the greater Phoenix area should be very familiar with the talented athletes that make up the Peat family. Longtime New Orleans Saints lineman, Andrus Peat, is a Corona del Sol High School alum who went on to play at Stanford and earn three NFL Pro Bowl selections. The homegrown product is spending this weekend at his old stomping grounds in the east Valley giving back to the community that helped shape him with a celebrity basketball game and free youth football camp.

“It’s great to be back in this gym. I grew up playing basketball here at Corona so it's just fun to be back in that environment,” Peat said. “We just want as many kids to come out and really learn the fundamentals of the game. We don't want any restrictions on who can come out. If parents can't afford it, we want everyone to be able to come out and have fun.”

This weekend’s events are powered by the Peat’s Purpose Foundation, Andrus’s nonprofit that aims to provide resources for at-risk to help them succeed in arts, education, and in sports. On Sunday morning, boys and girls ages 6-13 are invited to the free football camp at Corona where free lunch and a T-shirt will be provided. Some of the Peat family’s famous friends are even in Tempe to help with the weekend’s events. Some of the recognizable names on the roster for the celebrity basketball game included Perry High School star and top recruit Koa Peat, internet sensation Brandon “BdotAdot” Armstrong” and former WNBA superstar Liz Cambage. The Australian hooper has been close with the Peat family for many years and spent her Saturday afternoon supporting the family’s efforts to enrich the lives of young people.

“They really be doing a lot. A charity drive at Christmas, little give-back games like this at the high school Andrus went to… It's a lot. I've been trying to work out what my purpose is and how I give back so seeing what they do here with Peat’s Purpose is really inspiring for me,” Cambage said. “I've been tied with the family for a minute now. I have a lot of love for them and as soon as they said that we're having a charity game for Peat's Purpose, I had to be there.”

Follow the conversation with Lina Washington on Twitter: @LWashingtonTV. If you have a sports story idea, e-mail Lina at LWashington@12News.com.

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