Homegrown: How Carolina Athletics Raised $1.2 Million For Community Kids

During one of the busiest stretches of the athletic calendar, these Tar Heels pressed pause. Postseason play, football practice and the basketball transfer portal could wait, as past and present members of the UNC community came together for a cause greater than themselves.

Friday marked the fifth annual “Heels at the Rabbit Hole Spring Event,” a fundraiser hosted by Vaughn Moore, vice chair of the Rams Club, in support of TABLE Ministries, a nonprofit committed to fighting hunger and food insecurity in Orange County.

The event began at 6 p.m. at the “Rabbit Hole,” a four-story log cabin located on the Charles Kuralt family acreage in Carrboro, and welcomed more than 100 current and former members of the UNC athletics community — the largest turnout in its five-year history — along with longtime supporters of TABLE’s mission.

Friday’s guests included coaches Bill Belichick, Michael Malone, Chuck Martin and Marie McCool, along with former Tar Heels like Sam Howell, Drake Maye, Tyler Hansbrough, Marcus Ginyard and Bryn Renner.

“What’s really exciting is that it was the whole UNC athletic community that came together to support TABLE and the kids in the Carolina community, and that was really special,” Suzanne Tormollen, TABLE’s director of marketing, told Inside Carolina.

Moore, a 1993 graduate from the university, has served on the Rams Club executive board since 2018, and has acted as a connector between university leadership and athletics. Five years ago, the Winston-Salem native began using his network to help bring events like Friday night’s to life — all with the goal of supporting where UNC athletics calls home.

“I want to give back to our community, and that’s an important piece for me,” Moore told Inside Carolina. “But there’s a lot of other people that believe the same thing, and I’m using this also as a way to bridge the gap for our athletic alums to continue to feel connected and know they’re doing something really good.”

Howell’s partnership with TABLE during the 2021–22 season, combined with Moore’s network, helped launch the Spring Event, which has now raised nearly $3 million across its five-year history. The 2026 edition marked the most successful event yet, generating $1.2 million through an auction, paddle raise and additional generous donations.

This year’s auction featured a variety of UNC athletic-related experiences — including packages from football, basketball, field hockey, women’s lacrosse and tennis — along with autographed memorabilia from Maye, Howell, Belichick, Malone and Antawn Jamison. 

Still, the most sought-after item had little to do with athletics: a “Bake-mas” experience with Ann Michael Maye, Drake’s wife, whose baking prowess has turned into a sensation over the past year — especially in New England — sold for the highest value.

“I knew that was going to be a big one,” Moore said. “I was really promoting Ann Michael and how great she is — what a celebrity she is. I was joking with Drake about being a trophy husband and having a lot of fun with it, but she was the big winner of the night.”

TABLE serves nearly 1,200 children and delivers to close to 500 homes, partnering with local farmers to provide two bags of food each week — one with fresh produce and another with nonperishables — totaling about 10 meals and snacks.

“If you’re a household of five with two adults and three kids, you’re receiving six bags of food every week,” Tormollen said.

Once a month, TABLE delivers a meal kit that includes ingredients and instructions so its families can enjoy a home-cooked meal.

In the spring of 2023, TABLE saw a surge in applications that led to a waitlist of nearly 300 children. That backlog has since been eliminated — and continued support from events like this aims to keep it that way.

“What that money raised will help us do is hopefully not have a waitlist that grows,” Tormollen said. “Right now we have zero on our waitlist, and that money is going to help us expand the number of kids we’re serving, so when someone walks in the door, we can welcome them that day.”

Added Moore: “What I was most proud of — it wasn’t just the money that we raised — but the fact that we were able to eliminate a waitlist, because no family should be on a waitlist. This is the first year we were able to do that, and that really made me happy.”

As the event enters its sixth year, it is poised to continue growing, with Tar Heels like Roy Williams and Mitchell Trubisky already expressing interest in returning to give back to the community they still consider home, while others who were once invited as guests continue to return on their own. 

“I try to bring everyone together on all sides and show how we’re all one big family in the community,” Moore said. “And when we put our minds to it, we can give back and make a big difference, and that’s what we accomplished here on Friday night.”

And for those who may not be former Tar Heel standouts but still want to give back, TABLE’s impact extends far beyond monetary donations.

“People can donate their time, talent and treasure,” Moore said. “They can help pack bags or deliver food to families, which is incredibly rewarding — all of it matters. It’s not just money we need. People giving time is a great thing.”

Visit tablenc.org more more information about TABLE Ministries.