Interview: Demario and Tamela Davis talk New Orleans, and their upcoming vaccination event

Dylan Sanders speaks with Demario Davis and his wife Tamela about their upcoming event offering free food and vaccinations.

Over the weekend, we had the pleasure of speaking with Demario Davis, star linebacker for the New Orleans Saints, and his wife, Tamela, about an upcoming event they are hosting.

“Dinner with the Davises” will be held from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Kenner City Park Pavilion on August 27th. Stop by to meet the wonderful Davis family, eat some free food, and get your first vaccination shot courtesy of Winn Dixie Pharmacy. You can register online at devoteddreamers.org!

In the three years since moving here, the two of you have already done a ton of work in the community! What have you seen about the New Orleans community that makes you want to be so involved in its advancement?

There’s literally no place like New Orleans… relocating here has been life-changing. It’s remarkable to witness firsthand the countless ways this city celebrates life/people, overcomes adversity in unity.

We feel at home here! The culture, love, and gratitude we’ve experienced here has impacted our lives tremendously. Individually and collectively—we absolutely love being able to be invested in the advancement of such an incredible city, with such amazing people! And of course, they love their Saints!

We definitely love our Saints! Demario, you’ve played in most cities during you career, what makes the home advantage of a full Superdome different from other places and why is it so important to protect that by getting the vaccine and wearing masks?

It’s the best football atmosphere in America. Our fans give us a competitive advantage. When that stadium is rocking, the other teams struggle to get into their normal rhythm and that helps our team tremendously.

What is something else in the city that y’all are excited to have come back to once the community comes together and we finally are on the other end of this pandemic?

The festivals! The culture here is full of unique celebrations and we look forward to being able to enjoy more of them as a family, post-pandemic!

Well it seems that y’all have quite an event already planned! Tamela, as the food expert of the family, what can the New Orleans community expect from Dinner with the Davises?

People can expect to have a memorable dining experience with our family, friends, and community through laughter, dance, food,and countless other opportunities! This is a FREE event open to the public. Just Register online at devoteddreamers.org! DJ HardHead will set the tone with so awesome music! And just listing off some people helping mightily with the event:

Coca Cola has provided beverages for all of our dinners.

Copeland’s will be serving their bang bang shrimp po-boys and grilled chicken alfredo.

We Dat’s has supported all three dinners with their amazing wings. This dinner, they will serve up their catfish.

We have to thank Louisiana Seafood for their donation of local seafood products.

Celebrity Chef Amaris Jones is sharing my food truck and will be whipping up her famous chicken & waffles.

I’ll be serving one of my favorites – Strawberry Shortcake.

And our friends at Winn Dixie Pharmacy will be providing free vaccinations!

That sounds like a blast! Demario, all of this talk about the community, I would be remiss if I didn’t ask you about something we all had on our minds. With Drew Brees gone, how has this off-season felt for you compared to the last couple you’ve spent here?

It’s been an adjustment, especially when losing a great player like Drew, but this locker room is filled with other great players and leaders and is prepared and excited about the challenge of the 2021 season.

We are all excited to see what this team can do in a new era of Saints football. However, Demario, you’re not the only one with work to do in New Orleans this year! Tamela, how has the city of New Orleans inspired your blog, “The F Word?”

New Orleans inspired me to face my giants and finally launch the blog I’d been desiring to launch since 2015. Being in a city that shares the same unique love as I do around Faith, Family, Food, and Football has been so amazing and I’m grateful that it was here that The F Word has been able to be birthed and nurtured! My team and I are excited for all that’s to come!

Lastly, since this event is meant to be a family dinner, what is the funniest or favorite memory of a Davis family dinner that y’all can think of?

Witnessing people leave their plates temporarily, with a mouth full of food, to dance! It’s one of my favorite moments because it’s something Demario and our children like to occasionally do at home. Although I’m always encouraging them to finish their food before departing the table, often times they like to break out into a “Peanut Butter Jelly Time Dance” mid-dinner and return to the table as if that’s completely normal!

It’s been a beautiful blessing to share such amazing memories with such an amazing community! Whether they know it or not, this community has become an extension of our family and we’re grateful!

Thank you to Demario and Tamela Davis for chatting with me! I certainly can’t wait for the Dinner with the Davises event and hope to see y’all there! Be sure to register at devoteddreamers.org!

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