Chargers Running back Austin Ekeler Gives Back To The Community

WATTS (CBSLA) — Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler helped students in Watts by donating washers and dryers. 

"It's just offering this type of security — that they can feel comfortable in their own skin and their own body," said Ekeler. "I was absolutely, 100% in on this project when I heard about it and glad that we're able to get it done. 

Ekeler, with the help of the Think Watts Foundation, donated washers and dryers to Watts District schools which allows students and families to wash their clothes there for free. 

"Thank you for donating the washer because mine recently broke," said one student. "My mom has been going to the laundromat and she's a single parent. She doesn't have the money to keep buying gas and she got to buy us Christmas presents."

The cleaning product company ECOS also donated cleaning supplies for the families to use. 

"It was wonderful when we heard that Austin's foundation would donate the washing machine and dryers," said ECOS CEO and president Kelly Vlahakis-Hankes. We wanted to step up and donate safer cleaning products so that the students here can not only have clean clothes, which we understand is extremely helpful in reducing absenteeism, but they can also have clothes that are washed with safer cleaning products.

Stix, the founder of the Think Watts Foundation, believes that it will help eliminate barriers for less fortunate individuals.

"It gives you a certain type of confidence, just knowing that you are clean," said Stix. "Knowing that you're fresh then allows you to open your mind up to endless possibilities and not be focused on something as simple as 'Do I smell?'"