Page 8 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, May 21, 2021 DONATION | FROM PAGE 1 dation CEO John McGahan were among those on hand to give a huge thank you to local business owners who donated a total of $20,000 to MOA for the purpose of supporting the work and mission of Malden’s Bridge Recovery Center. The donors were Paul Murphy of Paul T. Murphy Insurance Agency, Louie Barretto of L & L Services, Anthony DeCotis of Town Line Luxury Lanes, Tony Bartolo of Tony’s Auto Body, Gavin Murphy of Yankee Pest Control, Peter Tufts of Tufts Construction, Bob Kaminski of Mystic Paving, and Arbella Insurance Company. Donors were treated to a tour of the facility by Bridge Recovery Center Director Keriann Caccavaro and Assistant Director Anthony Mansi. MOA stated on its website, “Malden’s local business community has long been one to step up when they see a need. MOA is so touched and thankful to see how these businesses came together with the shared goal of supporting recovery. It is only with continued efforts of groups like this that we can hope to make a difference with this epidemic. This donation does so much more than fund programs. It sends a loud and clear message to those with substance use disorder: ‘You Jarick Walker describes rise to success in NFL By Christopher Roberson J P r esiden t of Malden Overcoming Addiction Paul Hammersley thanked the donors for their generous donation to benefit those in need of help with drug addiction. (Photos courtesy of Malden Overcoming Addiction) matter, you are loved and the community believes in you!’. MOA is so very thankful to Paul T. Murphy for spearheading this collective action and to each and every business who contributed. As Margaret Mead said, ‘Never Doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.’” arick Walker recently shared the path that took him from playing a handful of college football games to becoming the talent and marketing manager for the NFL. Growing up in Hyde Park, Walker spent two years as a linebacker for Catholic Memorial School in West Roxbury. Following high school, he went on to play football for Boston College. Although he only played in six games, Walker still valued the experience of competing on the collegiate level. “When I was there, I walked onto the football team, which was crazy,” he said during a May 13 question and answer session sponsored by Everett High School. After graduating college with a bachelor’s degree in human development, Walker was unsure about his plans for the future. “I was a young 20-something and had no idea what life had to offer,” he said. However, he found a home with Boston Scholar Athletes and remained with the organization for four years. “From there, I took a risk,” he said, adding that he wanted to move to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. Therefore, he started working at the Nike Store on Newbury Street in Boston to save enough money for his move to southern California. However, something At a May 13 check presentation, Paul Hammersley, director of Malden Overcoming Addiction (left) explained how his organization helps addicts in need of treatment to Paul Murphy of Murphy Insurance, Peter Tufts of Tufts Construction and Tony Bartolo of Tony’s Auto Body. Everett Aluminum 10 Everett Ave., Everett 617-389-3839 Owned & operated by the Conti family since 1958 • 57 Years! “Same name, phone number & address for family since 1958 • 62 over half a century. We must be doing something right!” •Vinyl Siding •Free Estimates •Carpentry Work •Fully Licensed •Decks •Roof • Fully Insured • Replacement Windows www.everettaluminum.com •Roo ng Now’s the time to schedule those home improvement projects you’ve been dreaming about all winter! unexpected began to transpire. “What ended up happening was I began climbing the ranks at Nike,” he said. Eventually, Walker was transferred out of the retail division and took a marketing position at Nike’s Boston office. Despite his success in Boston, Walker had not forgotten Jarick Walker about the West Coast. Therefore, he would periodically travel to Nike LA to pitch ideas for marketing campaigns. Three years later, his efforts paid off when Nike offered him the opportunity to go to Los Angeles. However, life in southern California was much different than life in Boston. “It was a night and day experience,” said Walker. During his two years with Nike LA, Walker organized a road race in Inglewood, California, a community that was still recovering from a crack cocaine epidemic which struck during the 1980s. “We shut down a freeway to have a race,” he said. Although Walker had the opportunity to take a position at Nike’s corporate office in Oregon, he opted to go work for the NFL, where he has remained for the past year and a half. As the league’s talent and marketing manager, Walker said, one of his primary responsibilities is to attract younger fans. “It’s definitely hard; it’s an uphill battle,” he said. “A lot of people think the NBA is the biggest league in the country – the NFL far outpaces what the NBA is doing.” He has also worked with a number of celebrities in this capacity, including Kevin Hart, Cole Bennett, Lil Wayne, Desi Banks and Lil Baby. Although the NFL has a much greater corporate culture than Nike, Walker said, he has always tested the boundaries and strived to find different ways of doing things. “Every day when I go to work, I feel like I’m on this mission to change the narrative,” he said. Following the tragic deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, the league’s CFO, Joseph Siclare, offered to speak with any employee who needed to talk. Walker was one of the few who took Siclare up on his offer. “I shared how we need to be bold; you can’t tiptoe around this topic,” said Walker. “I broke down in tears afterward. I felt that he listened.” Spring!
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