Sophomore edge rusher Lance Holtzclaw could find himself as a key player in Washington’s defensive rotation in 2024, but on Wednesday, he took an opportunity to give back to his community.
The product of Desert Ridge High School in Mesa, Arizona was selected as Shake Shack’s Stand For Something Good Athlete of the Month, and spent some time at the fast-food chain’s University Village location on Wednesday helping collect donations for the YMCA of Greater Seattle.
“I chose the YMCA because when I was growing up in Boston, I would go to the YMCA all the time,” Holtzclaw said.
“I played basketball, swam, did tae kwon do there, and ran summer camps there too. It was a place that I instantly knew I wanted to give back to, because it’s somewhere that had a great impact on my life, it kept me out of trouble, and kept me in my sports and active. With locations all over the country, it was an easy decision for me to choose to help support them.”
I’m excited to announce that I’ve been nominated as the @Shakeshack Stand For Something Good February Athlete of the Month for the University of Washington! I’m hosting a Donation Day at Shake Shack University Village on February 28th to help raise money for the YMCA of Seattle. pic.twitter.com/sR7nP6xkZr
— Lance “Showtime” Holtzclaw (@lancefrmdabean) February 27, 2024
During his time at the event, Holtzclaw helped customers input his donation code, which sent 25 percent of their total purchase to the YMCA. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound edge rusher has been active in the NIL space on social media and said that being able to support an organization that was so critical in shaping his youth meant a lot to him.
“This is so great, it’s an experience that means the world to me,” he said. “It’s an opportunity for me to showcase myself, I love that I’m being recognized now as I try to move up in the ranks of the college football community.”
“I’m happy to be able to give back to a cause that means so much to me. I’ve seen a lot of guys have a chance to give back to different causes in their own cities and communities. Now, I have an opportunity to give back to a city that has shown so much love to me and my teammates in the city of Seattle. This is such a great opportunity and I’m so thankful that I was chosen for this event.”
Washington’s NIL collective Montlake Futures has put in a lot of effort to help make sure its student- athletes are active in helping their community. While Holtzclaw’s partnership with Shake Shack is separate from the collective, the collective has been at the forefront of finding deals for its student-athletes as part of the ever-changing landscape of NIL.