LAYTON, Utah (ABC4) – A local food truck serving Asian cuisine was vandalized last week, prompting a wave of support and encouragement for the owners from friends, neighbors, and community figures including Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson.
Clarkson averaged 2.5 assists to go along with 18.4 points per game this season, locking up the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award.
However, his greatest assist of the year may have come as a voice of support to the Pierce family, owners of the food truck.
Last week, World Famous Yum Yum Food Truck, which serves Asian fusion and Filipino food in the Northern Utah area, fell victim to an act of Asian Hate when vandals spray-painted the truck with racial slurs and harmful imagery.
Thanks to help from a number of concerned community members and leaders, including Layton Mayor Joy Petro, city council members Clint Morris, and Zach Bloxham, along with Clarkson, Yum Yum unveiled a mockup of a new wrap concept, ready for a reopening at the Philippine Independence Day celebration on Saturday in Salt Lake City.
The truck’s Facebook post thanked many for their involvement in the new look, including Clarkson, who is Filipino-American and holds dual citizenship in both countries.
Clarkson acknowledged his involvement in the project on his Twitter.
The wrap will be provided to the food truck by Daniel Workman and his company, Identity Graphx. Workman is a neighbor of the family that owns the truck and reached out to offer a new wrap after seeing the graffiti, which he called “disgusting,” when speaking to ABC4.
Not long after offering the wrap to Yum Yum, Workman heard from Clarkson’s management, offering to cover the cost of the new look. Workman declined to accept payment but added he was told Clarkson’s group has plans to support the family in other ways.
Yum Yum’s owner Ben Pierce confirmed to ABC4 that he has been in contact with Clarkson’s agent, who has repeatedly asked what else they need.
“They’re just giving us too much,” Pierce gratefully gushes of the community and Clarkson. “It’s already a lot of help. He’s too giving.”
Acquired by the Jazz in December 2019, and signing a multi-year extension with the team in November 2020, Clarkson has become heavily involved in the local community. He also had a hand in a vintage clothing pop-up shop at a small business downtown last month.
For his efforts on the floor, leading the Jazz to the top seed in the Western Conference and the overall best record during the regular season, Clarkson was named the league’s Sixth Man of the Year, or the top non-starter in the NBA.
Layton Police are still looking for the persons responsible for the racist messages on the truck, which is parked at night in one of the city’s neighborhoods. The department posted a $500 reward offering on its Twitter account for information leading to an arrest.
EDITOR’S NOTE: A previous version of this story incorrectly implied Clarkson had provided the new wrap to the World Famous Yum Yum Food Truck. The story has been updated to correct this interpretation.
