Even a season-ending injury won’t stop Deatrich Wise from giving back to Mattapan
The former Patriot will continue with his annual block party in Mattapan this weekend.
After spending the first eight years of his career with the Patriots, Deatrich Wise left for the first time this offseason to join the Washington Commanders.
He was just two games in with Washington when a torn quadriceps injury ended his season.
“The whole thing happened so fast,” Wise said. “I felt like I was just getting started.”
But, he’s not letting any of that stop him from putting on his annual block party at the Josh Kraft Mattapan Teen Center from 2-5 p.m. this Saturday. The event has been around since 2019, and it will return this weekend.
“The reason I do anything isn’t just for a one time effect,” Wise told Boston.com in a phone interview. “When we do community events, the main thing is to impact the people in the community. In order to impact the people, it can’t be a one time effect. It has to be something that can continue beyond my existence of being on a team, beyond being there.”
Wise said he’s expecting around 400 people to show up. The event will feature a farmer’s market, a family-style meal, free haircuts, and musical performances.
“The block party is a celebration of the community,” Wise said. “One of the main reasons why I had the idea for the block party was one that [the community] is in a food desert. So, I wanted to always be able to provide food for areas in need.”
“When I realized that Mattapan was in a food desert, one of my ideas was to have a farmer’s market and provide free food,” he added. “So, my team and I got together and we ended up getting a farmer’s market where we have given away over 1,000 pounds of food since we’ve done it every year.”
Although he has moved on from the Patriots, Wise said staying involved with community events like this one helps him feel connected to Boston.
“There’s an old saying that if you build it, they will come,” Wise said. “This block party has become a pillar in the community. The kids look forward to it. The adults look forward to it. It brings so much joy to the people who are from that area. I learned a lot about the history of that area, Mattapan, Dorchester, Blue Hill Ave., just by being with the people.”
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