On Feb. 26, 2022, a fire destroyed the residence of Zakai Zeigler's family in Queens, New York. His mother, who is raising his special-needs 4-year-old nephew, lost all of her belongings, including his nephew's vital accessibility equipment (wheelchair, splints, etc).

 

Zakai is currently enrolled at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he is a freshman guard on the Volunteers basketball team. The East Tennessee community has embraced Zakai in such an impactful manner that his mother is exploring opportunities to relocate to Knoxville so that the family can spend more time together and Zakai can assist with Nori's care. In the short term, funds will be used to fill immediate needs such as temporary housing, clothing and airfare.

 

The goal of this GoFundMe effort is exclusively relief and recovery. The listed goal of $50,000 is an approximation, as the full scope of loss is difficult to quantify and still being assessed.

 

This page is approved by UT Athletics.