Wings Captain Riorden Delivers Groceries to Family in Need

The Philadelphia Wings are prepping for the 2024-25 National Lacrosse League season, which kicks off at the end of November. But they're also getting ready for the holiday season, including working to help folks in the Philadelphia community.

On Thursday, Wings captain Blaze Riorden spent his morning at Wegmans in King of Prussia, shopping for Thanksgiving groceries for a family in need. Riorden, who joined the Wings in 2018, worked with a store manager to develop the perfect shopping list, then personally delivered the items to the New Day Drop-In Center in Kensington.

Even Wings mascot Wingston the Dragon helped out. Photo Credit: Philadelphia Wings"We were shopping for a family of four, a family in need that's faced some struggles but is turning the corner," Riorden told On Pattison after his trip. "Wegmans and I partnered up to go and pick out some of the Thanksgiving essentials, so we picked out pies, yams, collared greens, mac and cheese, all the staples of Thanksgiving dinner, the marshmallows on top of the yams, turkey, all that stuff." Wegmans surprised the Wings forward by tossing in the turkey for free.

Riorden then delivered the groceries to a family at the New Day Drop-In Center in Kensington. New Day supports individuals and families at the intersection of gender-based violence, exploitation, homelessness, and substance abuse.

"This was definitely eye opening to me . . . going into the heart of Kensington and seeing everything first-hand. I wasn’t blind to what I was seeing around me. It was truly sad, and there were people that truly needed help. If you don’t look at them as human beings you’d walk right by them on the street. And that would be it. But if you really look at them as you and I, as one of us . . . At the end of the day we all go to the same place when our time’s up. We’re all human beings and some of us go through harder times than others. To be able to help definitely made me realize what goes on in this world."Photo Credit: Philadelphia Wings

In a neat twist of fate, Riorden's first job as a teenager growing up in Rochester, NY was with Wegmans, as a cashier.

"I kinda remember during the holiday times being a cashier how packed the stores would be. Showing up as an employee, 16 years old, seeing people fill their carts with $400, $500 dollars' worth of groceries during the holiday times. 

"And you think, as a 16 year old, this is kinda the norm. Everyone just eats a lot and holidays revolve around food and family and love and all that stuff. And now that I’m an adult and I took on this trip, it puts it into perspective: that’s not something that everyone has the luxury to do."

The Wings organization plans to continue to work with Wegmans, the New Day Drop-In Center, the Salvation Army, and other partners to make a difference in the community.

They'll kick off their lacrosse action, meanwhile, on December 1 in San Diego. The game will be nationally televised on the ESPN family of networks.