JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As students are preparing to go back to school, one mother who lost her son is making sure kids have what they need to have a good year.
For the second consecutive year, there will be a back-to-school giveaway in honor of Rashaud Fields. It is set for July 29.
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Janice Fields always looks for ways to remember her son, including wearing the football jersey he would have worn on the field in college occasionally.
It has been a little more than a year since Rashaud Fields was killed. In his honor, his parents are putting together a back-to-school giveaway.
“Rashaud would’ve loved it because that is what he wanted to do,” Fields said about her son. “He always said when he made it to the NFL he was going to give back to the community.”
The event is scheduled for Saturday, July 29 at The Legends Center on Soutel Drive starting at noon. At least 200 backpacks will be given away as well as plenty of school supplies. There will be food, drinks, games, and an opportunity for kids to participate in a flag football and basketball tournament.
“Rashaud was the life of the party,” Fields said. “He was the life of everything.”
Fields says the giveaway happening on July 29 has significance. Rashaud was supposed to leave for college on that date last year. He used to also play flag football and basketball at The Legends Center once a week.
Rashaud was shot and killed May 23, 2022 at a graduation party in the Highlands neighborhood just a few hours after he got his diploma at Raines High School.
He was a stellar football player and was set to take his talents to Keiser University in West Palm Beach on a full athletic scholarship.
His mother is still grieving but says his teammates, coaches and even some NFL players call to check in on her.
“That lets me know that they have not forgotten about Rashaud,” Fields said.
No one has been arrested for Rashaud’s murder.
There is a $13,000 reward for any information that ends up leading to an arrest.