Marshawn Lynch Gave Away Free Skittles in Oakland to Celebrate Raiders Game

Marshawn Lynch, Oakland’s fun-loving homeTown hero known for his community bike rides and the recent purchase of beloved soul food restaurant, is now giving away free Skittles. For one day only, five Skittles vending machines were scattered throughout Oakland at spots chosen by Lynch, filled with packages of the sweet stuff to help fans get pumped up before Sunday’s game against the NY Jets.

Lynch is a spokesperson for the brand, a result of his longtime habit of eating Skittles before games, and on the sidelines. Apparently it started when his mother, Delisa Lynch, would give him the sugary candies before games, which she nicknamed “power pellets.”

"I would give him a handful of Skittles and say, ‘Eat 'em up, baby,'" Delisa Lynch told Seahawks.com in 2012. "'They're going to make you run fast and they're going to make you play good.'" The habit continued on through his years at Oakland Technical High School, and Cal, where he says the school used to buy them by the case. Now fans shower him with candy at games, creating an entirely new touchdown ritual.

The vending machines were open 9/17 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the following locations chosen by Lynch himself:

• Beast Mode Store, 811 Broadway
• Hank and Frank Bicycles, 6030 College Ave.
• The Raider Image, 8450 Edgewater Ave.
• UC Berkeley MLK Student Union, 2495 Bancroft Way
• Shoe Palace, 4900 Telegraph Ave.

• Marshawn Lynch Takes Over Emeryville Soul Food Restaurant to Save It [ESF]