It began last Thursday at the Youth Outreach Program hosted by Essence Magazine, which was created to provide both entertainment and empowerment for local youth.  Held at the Mahalia Jackson Theater and emceed by New Orleans' own DJ Wild Wayne, Torrence was joined on stage by teammate Jahri Evans.  The two players addressed over 2,000 students ranging in ages from 13 to 18 on several topics including the importance of academics, physical fitness, and setting goals for the future.  Torrence took photos backstage with kids and mingled with other attendees such as members of the Military and New Orleans Hornets Guard Chris Paul. 

The next day, Torrence headed over to the Convention Center for the "Essence.com Experience," where he met with representatives from the magazine for a behind-the-scenes tour of some of the events surrounding the festival.   He appeared later on stage to discuss his S.W.A.Y. foundation, as well as his experience of living in New Orleans and realizing the dream of winning a title.  Afterwards, he met with several fans to sign autographs and share some laughs.

"The past two days were a lot of fun," said Torrence.  "The youth event was something that I had been looking forward to for a while.  I hope my words and my story can be a positive influence to them in some way."  He added, "the Convention Center was a great time.  Speaking there was a little different than what I did on Thursday, but I really enjoyed it.  Plus, I love meeting Saints fans... their undying passion for the team and city - it's very unique, very cool."