Eric LeGrand Gives $1,000 To Perth Amboy Teachers For School Supplies

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — On Tuesday of this week, Woodbridge's Eric LeGrand presented $1,000 to two local teachers.

The teachers will use the money to purchase school supplies for their classrooms as the new school year is about to start.

The teachers were Nikki Karas, a physical education teacher in the Perth Amboy school district, and local history teacher Nicholas Ferroni, according to ABC 7.

In a jam-packed event, LeGrand presented the two teachers with the checks Tuesday from his coffee house next to the Woodbridge train station. You can see photos from the checks being presented to the two teachers on Aug. 22: https://twitter.com/LeGrandCof...

The donation was also funded by @myschoolfundr and Teachers Insurance Plan of NJ.

On average, teachers spend $520 of their own money on classroom expenses each year.

LeGrand was raised in Avenel, played football for Colonia High School and went on to a promising college football career at Rutgers University. It was during a 2010 Rutgers-Army game that he took a hard hit and suffered a traumatic spinal cord injury. He is now paralyzed and uses a wheelchair.

Today, LeGrand is a motivational speaker, philanthropist and small-business owner; he opened his coffee shop in 2022 on the ground floor of Avenue + Green, the new apartment building at 10 Green Street (the former Lucas Chevrolet dealership). In 2023, LeGrand also unveiled his own bourbon line. Starting this fall, Eric LeGrand bourbon will be the official spirit of all Rutgers home games. Rutgers fans will be able to order LeGrand's bourbon on the rocks or in specialty cocktails at SHI Stadium and Jersey Mike's Arena.

Also coming up this winter, you'll see the logo of LeGrand Coffee House on New Jersey Devils helmets for all road games. The Devils say they are also working to have LeGrand's coffee served at the Prudential Center during games and other Prudential Center events, such as concerts, and his coffee will also be distributed to Devils players in the team locker room.

LeGrand has raised $1 million through his charity foundation, and he also launched his own podcast this year, A Cup of Believe. Snoop Dog, NJ soccer star Carli Lloyd and "Breaking Bad" actor Bryan Cranston have all been interviewed on his podcast so far: https://www.youtube.com/@acupo...