On Friday, December 20, the Carmelo Anthony Foundation teamed up with Fox Home Entertainment to host a special screening of Big at the AMC Empire 25 Theater in Times Square. 250 deserving middle school students enjoyed the afternoon with refreshments, red carpet treatment and a movie.

Possibly twice the age of most in attendance, this time A Very Melo Christmas celebrated Big’s 25th Anniversary release. All of the children looked happy and the New York Knicks Kids were exceptionally cute and talented.

We had a minute to talk with Carmelo Anthony about how his foundation selects children, and the feeling that he gets when he sees the children smile:

We see that giving back is something that you like to do a lot. Specifically, around Thanksgiving you were at The Boys & Girls Club [giving away turkeys and packages], so how are these kids chosen?

It’s different groups that we chose. You know, a lot of the times, we let the kids submit essays and then we’ll read the essays and things like that then, there’s a group that we select from that. Today, we have three different groups, so it’s all across the board. But regardless, I’m just here to have some fun. For me, just to get away from basketball for a day and just removing myself from that and just have fun with it.

What’s the feeling that you get from seeing all of these kids smile?

It’s inspiring to me. It’s motivating to me, to want to keep doing my day job, to the best of my ability. [Because I know it will motivate others.]

Interview by Esparo Voltaire, Jr.

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