by Chelle

The tables were set and the turkey dinner prepped as The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Seattle opened their White Center doors to more than four hundred kids and their families to spend the evening with CJ Prosise at his third annual Thanksgiving Takeover. This is one of the many ways CJ loves to give back to the community and make an impact on other’s lives.

 As the vans unloaded and the kids came in, they scanned the room looking for the Seahawk running back and his teammate, Kahlil McKenzie. It was hard to miss Blitz, standing guard at the gym door giving everyone the Seahawk eye and a high five.

Once everyone got settled, CJ and Kahlil gave a quick shout out to the crowd before ensuring  everyone got their vegetables. Blitz managed to sneak into the cook’s line and took over giving everyone a fresh roll and fresh cranberry sauce.

After eating their fill, the kids gathered in the center of the gym to listen for CJ to hopefully call out their ticket number for one of the many prizes packed onto two tables, courtesy of Premera Blue Cross. Once the tables were clear, families had the chance to bust a move on the dance floor, play one of several games, get balloon animals and caricatures made, and most importantly, a chance to meet CJ and Kahlil. It was hard to tell who was more excited, the kids or the parents.

Three hours later, after the last crumbs were swept and the tables put away, the event planners sat down at the front desk with huge grins. This was the most successful Thanksgiving Takeover to date and they already had ideas on how to make it bigger and better next year.

After dinner and photos were done, I got a chance to chat with CJ and Kahlil. I skipped the typical press questions and went straight to the ones I had gathered from the kids.

When asked about their favorite subjects, both CJ and Kahlil love history. CJ also likes chemistry a lot, but biology not so much.  While Kahlil has always wanted to play football, comes from a football family, and simply is football, CJ was an all-around sports kid. He played a power forward in basketball, did almost every event in track and field, played baseball, soccer, and of course, just a little bit of football. 

Growing up, Kahlil often hung with friends at his local Boys and Girls Club. CJ, however, was so busy playing all those sports he never had time to, but many of his friends did, which is why he loves to support them now.

Finally, I asked CJ what advice he would give to his younger self. He paused and thought for a moment. “I would tell myself to study a little more seriously. Sure, a ‘C’ means you can play in the game today, but it does not help as much with the game of life.”