Peachtree Hoops: Dedmon to provide $65K in grants to Black businesses in Atlanta

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Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images

The Hawks big man continues to give back like he never left.

Dewayne Dedmon is doing his part to help small businesses recover amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Atlanta Hawks center announced on Tuesday afternoon he was hosting a small business grant competition for all small Black-owned businesses in metro Atlanta. Dedmon will be giving out a total of five grants, which will total $65,000.

“I am very excited to be able to help provide some relief to the Atlanta community,” Dedmon wrote on his social media post. “Please pass this info along.”

The NBA Player’s Association and the Ressler-Gertz Family Foundation also contributed with Dedmon in support of the initiative.

All metro Atlanta small Black business owners are required to apply for the grants before July 24. Those interested can find the application here.

The grants will be given out on Aug. 10.

Cam Reddish also took part in COVID-19 relief when he partnered with Pepsi for the “Stronger Together” campaign, where an essential worker could enter to win a $1,000 care package in May.

“This is really just my way of trying to give back,” Reddish said in a previous interview with Peachtree Hoops. “When I first got here, Atlanta was really supportive of me, so I’m just trying to give my support back and show some love to the frontline workers.”

Dedmon has always taken pride in giving back to the community he’s played in. In his first stint with the Hawks, he hosted a turkey drive at a local YMCA for Thanksgiving. His Twitter page is heavily dedicated to highlighting his community efforts.

“Coming from where I come from, Lancaster’s not really a big city,” Dedmon said during his 2018-19 exit interview. “There’s not really a lot going on, didn’t really have much coming up. Anytime that I feel like I can give back to somebody and give them something I didn’t have is something that I try to do. Something that I try to hang my hat on.”

He also uttered another statement that resonates one summer, and two team transactions, later.

“I love the city of Atlanta.”

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