CHARLOTTE —Joy continues to ring out across the Carolinas, now in Charlotte. The David & Nicole Tepper Foundation and Carolina Panthers hosted 'Joy to the Carolinas' for over 700 underserved local youth at Bank of America Stadium on Tuesday.

Forty-six current Panthers players, including Bryce Young, Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee Adam Thielen, Chuba Hubbard, A'Shawn Robinson, Xavier Legette, and more gathered into the lower lobby at Bank of America Stadium early Tuesday evening, donning jerseys and Carolina blue Santa hats. As the Teppers welcomed them to this year's Joy to the Carolinas and thanked them for being there, David Tepper offered a reminder as to what the night was about.

"For these kids, this is their Super Bowl," said Tepper. "You guys are making their day, making their year. You should find some joy in that."

And joy was the theme of the night. Each group of children was greeted by TopCats cheerleaders, Sir Purr, a Winter Wonderland entrance complete with snow, and some by David and Nicole Tepper themselves before being led upstairs where players, legends, and hundreds of volunteers were waiting to hand out gifts, winter gear, meals, and more.

A longtime community partner of The David & Nicole Tepper Foundation, Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina identified deserving students from regional Boys and Girls Clubs and YMCA programs throughout the Carolinas through its Kids Café Program. Natalya McCallum, the family services director of the Stratford Richardson YMCA knows nights like Tuesday can have a profound impact for life.

"We're so thankful for the Carolina Panthers. The 'heart' work is what makes the hard work super-duper easy," McCallum said. "That heart work takes it all away. It fills my cup knowing our children are getting experiences that not every child has the experience in their lifetime. So our children are getting a once-in-a-lifetime amazing experience."

Those in attendance were led through "Winter Wonderland" to receive hats and gloves, provided by Belk, along with new coats, "Toyland" and "Shoe-ville" to receive toys and shoes. The field was adorned with the Panthers' entire inflatables fleet, complete with fan fest-style activities, bounce houses, slides, and even a snow globe. The stadium was decorated to create a whimsical and immersive experience at every stop with Panthers players, team legends, football leadership including Dave Canales, Dan Morgan, and Brandt Tillis, the entire Tepper Sports & Entertainment Executive Leadership Team, and countless staff and volunteers were on hand to help along the way including serving a holiday dinner supported by Coca-Cola Consolidated, Harris Teeter, and US Foods, leading activities on the field, and handing out gifts.

"I mean, I almost cried downstairs," said Nicole Tepper of those who came out on a day off from football to be a part of this special event, especially players and football leadership. "It just shows that we're a family and that they're built with our fabric, so they bleed our blood and that's the culture we're building here. Community is really important, just as much as winning on the field is important. Days like this bring it all together."

At the night's end, each organization received Harris Teeter gift cards and complimentary passes to Light the Knights on behalf of Coca-Cola Consolidated.

The star of the show was the face-to-face time with the Panthers players and legends there that served as Santa.

"I think it's a lot of the kids' first time being able to meet guys like this," said Carolina native and Panthers' rookie, Xavier Legette. "When I was younger I wasn't able to meet a lot of guys that made it to the NFL because not many guys make it from my area and so just being able to do things like this, I really appreciate the Teppers for putting this together and the organization for putting this together because I know it means a lot to the kids."

Added Young, who handed out shoes to a line of kids who were dying to meet the quarterback, for over two hours, "I think it's just an awesome opportunity for us to try to give back to the community. The community does so much for us. We're who we are off the support of our city, of the Carolinas, of everyone and we're so grateful for everyone who comes out and supports."

It was a family affair for so many involved. Tillis and his wife served alongside their two young daughters, helping the younger children pick out the gifts they wanted. Andy Dalton and his wife were on hand with all of their children, as well as Johnny Hekker and Thielen. It was an opportunity to show the true meaning of the season to their own kids.

"We try to tell them there's kids out there that don't have an extravagant Christmas, right, tons of presents under the trees, things like that. Maybe the parents that are just stressed out this time of year and try to help them realize that it's actually more fun to give than it is to open up your presents and receive," Thielen said of why it was so important to bring his kids to Tuesday's event.

While he spoke, his two boys were just a few feet away, excitedly helping boys around their own age decide between a nerf toy and a stomp rocket.

"So, I think they're starting to realize that when they're handing out—they're pretty fired up back there," Thielen continued, "as the kids come, they're more excited to see the kids come to give them a gift than anything. So obviously we try to bring them to as many events as we can to show what's really important in life."

Feeling not only comfortable enough but wanting to bring their own kids to serve is part of the atmosphere and culture the Teppers have strove to establish with the Panthers.

"It says a lot about the organization," Thielen noted. "It says a lot about (the Teppers') mindset.

"So, it means a lot to us as players. It just makes you want to maybe play a little bit harder or do a little bit more in the community when you have an ownership group like that."

A special rendition of Joy to the Carolinas visited Western North Carolina earlier in the month, providing a respite and smiles to the area ravaged by Hurricane Helene. The split event this year meant the Charlotte version was brought full circle, coming back to Bank of America Stadium – where the event was first held in 2019 – after years at the Charlotte Motor Speedway and Carowinds amusement park. Being in the stadium lent itself to moments like Chuba Hubbard and Jonathon Brooks standing on the 30-yard line to judge a cartwheel competition.

"(Chuba) was a quiet rookie and we saw him kind of open up at the first Joy, his rookie year," recalled Nicole Tepper as she watched the interaction between the Top 6 rusher in the NFL and two elementary school girls with enough energy to wear out the best athletes. "And then to see him, who he is today and to grow in the community too has been really special, so like those moments are pretty awesome to see.

"I think the full circle moment, the intimacy of being here at the stadium, made it really special this year. There's so much interaction and you get to see their personalities; they're overwhelmed, which is amazing to see.

"They don't know what to choose or pick, and I think what's really special is a lot of these families, they get something handed to them and may feel like they have to accept it. But when they're here at Joy to the Carolinas, they can pick their meals and they can pick their toy and they can pick their jacket, so that's fun because it's not just something given to them. They get to choose, so it's about them too."

Even as the last of the 700+ kids started to head towards the exit late Tuesday, the echos of shouts, laughter, and gasps of excitement rang throughout the halls. It sounded a lot like joy.