ALIQUIPPA — Before Aliquippa football running back Tikey Hayes made the trek to State College and move into Penn State as an early enrollee Friday, he received a gift from a local business.
Hayes received a $1,000 scholarship donation from Tucked With Care CEO and Aliquippa native Robin Tucker. Hayes was also joined by longtime head coach Mike Warfield and the office staff of the business.
“With Tikey graduating early in December, [they] Aliquippa didn’t have the opportunity to do anything special for him with him going off to college so I wanted to do something for him on short notice at my office before he left and I am so happy that I was able to do it.”
Tucked with Care is a home care agency that was founded by Robin Tucker in 2016 after her mother fell ill. Since then, Tucker has created a scholarship in remembrance of her mom and given it to many athletes throughout the Aliquippa School district.
“It feels so good to be able to give back to these kids,” Tucker said. “I was one of them before growing up in the projects in Linmar. Coach Warfield, [Aliquippa School District Superintendent] Dr. Phillip Woods, we all grew up in that area so there were only a select few of us that were able to get out of the area so it is always so nice to give back to the community that I grew up in.”
While Hayes is going off to college, Tucker also has donated to students who are going into a trade, looking for a full-time job right out of high school or someone who wants to get into entrepreneurship.
“I didn’t go to college, but I am making it in life,” Tucker said. “Don’t get me wrong, I am big on education but I am making it in life. I talk to students all the time that go to college and I let around 15 of them at a time come into the office, shadow and then pay them after they are done. I show them that this is what they can do and if they stay all four years, they will always have a job here. I don’t have to do this but my heart won’t let me not do it because I know that these kids need that extra push besides their parents they need us we get it done for the students.”
More:Meet the dual-sport standout who is the Times’ 2023-24 Male Athlete of the Year
Now on campus at Penn State, Hayes will begin to workout with the team as the Nittany Lions continue their quest for a CFP National Championship. The team will play in the semifinals at the Capital One Orange Bowl on Thursday against Notre Dame.
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