ORANGE PARK - Edward and Annie Lee Keyes have some pretty large friends; one an Alabama football guy, another an NFL defensive lineman, and when you have large friends, it's very easy to fundraise.
"Ha, Ha, that's funny," said Edward Keyes, who with his wife Annie, celebrate the youth of Orange Park sports, especially from his neighborhood in the Grove Park Elementary school area with his Edward and Annie Keyes Foundation, a not-for-profit with one goal. "We want to make S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) available to the kids from around here. We want to give them a better chance of succeeding after they finish school here. Computers, laptops, whatever they need to prepare them for life after school."
For his goal, Keyes enticed his very large friends to promote, participate and play with area youth in his football and basketball youth skills camps and fun days scheduled last week on Sat., June 29 at the OPAA Fields off Gano Road; the third annual Community Sports Day.
"This area is full of great athletes who became successes in life and have all remembered where they came from," said Keyes. "Guys like Lamont and Pookie Floyd; Lamont a University of Alabama football player, and Pookie, an NFL and Canadian football player, always are willing to come back to their beginnings right here at the OPAA fields and work with the kids and make them feel great about doing things on a team, getting coached and being respectful to people wanting to help them. It's our mission to make them great people when they get older."
On the football fields, the Floyds, two massively large and still intimidating-looking brothers; 6'-3" plus, 240-250 pounds plus, are the consummate encouragers for the kids who attended.
"Those two guys have come here for years and it's a good show to the kids that it doesn't matter where you start but that hard work, respect and loyalty reward you," said Keyes, noting Lamont Floyd, a 1990s Alabama defensive standout, now runs an investment and group; IVG Mortgage Services, who partnered with Keyes for the Saturday fundraiser, Gonzago "Pookie" Floyd, was a Canadian Football Grey Cup champion and a Jacksonville Jaguar in his 10 years of professional football, and Keyes, himself, an Orange Park standout than a Bolles football state champion under legendary coach Corky Rogers before college football at Georgia Tech and Central Florida were three of the main components of building the OPAA basketball courts at the OPAA fields entrance a few years ago and keeping the movement going forward. "They never say no to doing something for the community."
On the roster of Orange Park's best athletes that participated in the Saturday day of football and basketball were Jay Savant, a FAMU national champion running back; Jermyn Shannon, also a Bolles state champion athlete; Jermain Boggan, a Nichols State standout football player; and more recently Lorenzo Ferguson, an Orange Park High standout who excelled at South Alabama, and Todd Floyd, another FAMU standout and area coach.
From the present Orange Park High athletes were Raider quarterback Gabe Taylor, Oakleaf High wide receiver Carlos Witherup, and two players from Fletcher High School; Travis Ian and TK Muex, both outstanding linemen with Muex already committed to the University of Miami.
"All these guys are very busy dedicated dads and businessmen, but they all come back," said Keyes. "That's the beauty of a great neighborhood. It's their influence that makes great players even better because the kids see the success right in front of them."
Also on the agenda for the day of sports was a dedication to former Orange Park and Bolles football running back standout Robert Pollard, who tragically died in 2020 at age 42 after an outstanding career as a running back at Bolles.