Ohio State's Devin Royal expands Pickerington back-to-school giveaway in second year
The goal for the first year was modest. Devin Royal wanted to distribute some backpacks and school supplies at Pickerington Elementary School before the 2024-25 school year began.
Not even sporadically heavy rain could prevent a solid turnout , and it left Royal thinking bigger. So when it came time for the 2025 iteration of the giveaway, to be held at another Pickerington grade school – Heritage Elementary, Royal went public to solicit donations.
The result was an outpouring so significant that the Ohio State junior was able to hand out supplies elsewhere, too. Some went to high-school kids. Others went to the Huckleberry House, a safehouse center for at-risk teens located near Ohio State's campus.
Ohio State's Devin Royal gives back: A kid at heart: Ohio State's Devin Royal gives back to Pickerington
"We got a whole bunch of stuff," Royal said at the Aug. 7 event while using a white towel to wipe the sweat from his head as he stood under the hot summer sun. "We actually had too much, so we moved it around. It's just a blessing. That's what it's about: playing basketball, coming back, giving back to the community."
In 2024, Royal handed out supplies at Pickerington Elementary, a school where he worked as a classroom assistant during his senior year at Pickerington Central. Much like last year, Royal flitted about this year's event, engaging with kids.
As attendees made their way from the parking lot, they were greeted by two of the most important people in Royal's life: his mom, Shannon Cornell, and "Miss Hannah" – Sharon Hannah, an intervention specialist at Pickerington Central who became family as she helped him navigate high school. Together, Cornell and Hannah directed kids and their families to pick out a backpack from one of seven bins and then to grab a packet of school supplies from the box that corresponded with their grade.
It was an emotional part of the afternoon for Cornell.
"I have to say that as a single parent when my boys were growing up that it was not always the easiest to be able to afford everything that they needed for school," she said. "To be able to give back to other single parents or families that aren't able to afford these things just really makes my heart happy."
The rest of Royal's family was on hand to help, too. His brother, Tresdan, works for Donatos Pizza and provided food for the attendees. His father, Daryl Royal, supervised kids playing on the inflatable sports zones that Devin Royal paid to have at the festivities.
Devin Royal, too, played on the inflatables, high-fiving a kid who completed a pass at the football station before being repeatedly challenged by kids at the basketball station. As he stepped out to take some long-distance shots with a soft, mini basketball, one youngster offered him a challenge: If you miss, will you play me one-on-one?
Moving down the line, Royal spent several minutes with one girl at the soccer station, trying desperately to help her boot a ball high enough to find the back of the net. Around them, young boys and girls chased basketballs across the asphalt while shooting on one of the six hoops located near the playground.
When it was time to get a break from the sun, Royal headed to the Donatos tent, where he helped hand out popsicles. On the way, he stopped to take selfies with those who asked for them.
"I love having fun with the kids, making them smile, making them laugh," he said. "It's always fun to play with the kids."
This year, Cornell said the family had planned to have enough supplies for 180 children. Devin Royal said the plan is to hold the event each year at one of the seven Pickerington elementary schools. Last year, he knew some of the kids from his time working in the classroom while he was a high school student, but this year brought an entirely new slate of faces.
By the time they left, seemingly each of kids had a new friend in the 6-6, 220-pound wing poised for an impactful junior season with the Buckeyes .
"I'm blessed, man," Royal said. "I feel like it's all God's work. I'm on my path and I'm blessed to be on it."
Ohio State men's basketball beat writer Adam Jardy can be reached at ajardy@dispatch.com, on Bluesky at @ cdadamjardy.bsky.social or on Twitter at @ AdamJardy .
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State basketball's Devin Royal sees school charity giveaway grow
