Before he was "The Truth," he was "The Roly-Poly Kid"

The Boston Globe had a nice piece recently on Paul Pierce. He really has done a lot with his FitClub34. Most athletes do charity work, but not many are more into their particular endeavor then Paul is. According to Paul there's a reason:
Long before he was Paul Pierce, eight-time NBA All-Star and captain of the Boston Celtics, he was Paul Pierce, the fat kid.

“I like the word chubby better,’’ Pierce said recently at the Celtics’ practice facility in Waltham. “A lot of people referred to me as the roly-poly kid.’’

As part of his campaign, Pierce has started a “fan club turned fit club’’ — FitClub34 — for children that features fitness challenges, complete with a green Paul Pierce Activity Watch that tracks a child’s activity level. Points accumulate for activity time and can be redeemed for prizes that include Pierce T-shirts, iPods and Flip videocams, a session with the star, or attending a Celtics game in his personal suite. The club is part of Pierce’s charitable foundation, The Truth Fund. Like the federal government, Pierce’s program encourages 60 minutes of exercise daily.
Props to Paul for doing this. For more information, check out his website and the Globe's video after the jump.