MILWAUKEE — While fans are celebrating the prospect of Damian Lillard playing alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, there are more than a dozen local community groups who will miss Jrue Holiday’s charitable work in the City of Milwaukee.
“Just sadness,” Emerald Mills, owner of Turning Tables, said. “And shock.”
Mills first met Jrue and Lauren Holiday through their foundation, the Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Impact Fund. Turning Tables is one of 17 Black-owned businesses to benefit from the JLH Fund.
“Without their support very early on, we would not have been able to sustain,” Mills said. “I can’t even calculate the impact that they’ve had on us personally, but there’s been a lot.”
Turning Tables is a restaurant and teaching kitchen, which helps up-and-coming food entrepreneurs hone their skills and go out into the world to make a culinary impact.
As helpful as the money was to keep her dream alive, Mills says it was the support from the Holidays that blew her away.
“They aren’t just figures on TV for me,” Mills said. “They have been very active. You just don’t expect a grant from anybody, but you oftentimes don’t expect to see those people, touch those people, and know that they are rooting you on and they’re supporting you.”
A section of the City of Milwaukee was largely built on the shoulders of Giannis and his incredible rise to stardom in the NBA. Fiserv Forum and Deer District are a testament to how the City of Milwaukee had its love of basketball reinvigorated by the Greek Freak. However, the Holidays built a sturdy foundation of charitable work that will be hard to replicate.
“We hope the Bucks win and all of that, but I really would rather them be here,” Mills said. “I feel like I do have a relationship with them. It’s not an easy thing for me. Building the city goes from the ground up. It goes from having your hands and feet in the work and not just throwing money at situations, but really trying to get to the root of why maybe there’s not money there in the first place, or what other challenges people are having. From the short time that I’ve known them and been able to be in a relationship with them, I know that they are people that do that. I know that the way they give is that kind of way.”
Mills says when she first met Jrue and Lauren, Lauren was adamant about sharing her cell phone number. It was stunning to Mills, for someone with such stature to be open to sharing something so personal. Wednesday, when she got news about the trade, she immediately texted Lauren to thank her for everything.
So it shouldn’t come as a surprise what Lauren texted back to Emerald.
“Thank you for everything,” Mills said. “She’s thanking me for everything.”
Mills feels confident that the Holidays will continue to have a footprint in Milwaukee, but she knows it’ll be different without them calling Cream City home.
“It’s not goodbye, but see you later,” Mills said. “I want them to know that Milwaukee is really grateful to have had them. We are blessed to have them and we appreciate everything that they have done. Whatever city they’re going to is going to also be very blessed.”
Those blessings will go to Blazers faithful in Portland, with love from Milwaukee.
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