Victor Cruz Hosts Special 'EPIC' Screening With Children From His Foundation

When most people think about helping impoverished youth, they think of feeding a hungry child. Images of malnourished children pop into their minds, but there are other important aspects of a child's upbringing that are often overlooked. Star wide receiver Victor Cruz wanted to address that very issue. He wanted to take a new approach to helping less fortunate children and establish himself as a positive mentor and role model. So he took action, a step many fail to take, by founding The Victor Cruz Foundation, which helps kids stay in shape and on the right track.

On May 16, Cruz invited a group of lucky Hispanic elementary students from I.S. 228 David A. Boody school in Brooklyn to a special screening of the upcoming Twentieth Century Fox film, "Epic." The kids got a chance to meet Cruz and talk about the movie. Many of them sported his jersey and cheered as he entered the room.

In an exclusive interview with Latinos Post, Cruz talked about his foundation and shared his thoughts on the upcoming movie, which hits theaters May 24.

"What inspired me was just being a vessel for these kids," Cruz said. "I want it to be a vessel of positivity that they could look at and be excited about."

Cruz also touched on the importance of fitness and physical activity in a child's upbringing. "It's very important to be outside and playing because it's a video game era that we live now. To be outside and be active with friends, teammates and team activities is definitely very important to me and my family and I think it definitely plays a part in the overall health of our world today."

But The Victor Cruz Foundation doesn't only focus on health and fitness, it also dwells on the importance of education. In a recent visit to the White House science fair, the brilliance and enthusiasm of the children inspired Cruz to stress educational elements to the kids in his foundation.

"If I can get kids that are excited about sports as excited about education, science and technology then I've succeeded my goals," he said.

When talking about the movie, Cruz said "it's about having these kids understand that you can be a hero in your own sense, in your own world. Whatever you want to put your mind to, you can achieve it and get it done."

Later on in the evening, Cruz sat down with his family and the kids to watch "Epic." The children not only had the opportunity to catch an early glimpse of the film, but also got to share some popcorn and a special moment with one of their biggest heroes, a memory that will stay with them forever.