“10 Things” - Notable Athletes Giving Back to the Community
With all the sports happening right now, we should acknowledge some outstanding athletes who are making their mark and impacting their communities.
Between in-season football, pre-season basketball, playoff baseball, start of hockey season and so much more - sports are all around us this fall (as usual). I do quite enjoy it, as I am sure many can guess. And while I do love to talk and analyze games, I also love learning about the amazing stories and work that athletes are doing outside their day jobs. So many athletes have amazing personal life stories (I’ll definitely dig into some of that too sooner than later), but more importantly they are using their experiences and platform to create an impressive impact which arguably goes less recognized. In the peak moments of these sports, such as in the time right now - I do always like to be reminded how there is so much more than just the sport, competition, stats, fantasy points or playoff dreams that should absorb us. And honestly this week I have been thinking about my own desire to volunteer and get involved in communities more - which is where this post was also partially inspired from. Looking at people who have a platform, are driving a positive impact and going above and beyond is something I admire and also sort of envy. I have ambitions to do the same and believe many athletes are great examples to look up to. So with all that said, below are a list of 10 Notable Athletes Giving Back to the Community that you should know:
Solomon Thomas (New York Jets) - After being impacted in his life, Solomon started The Defensive Line - an organization focused on ending the epidemic of youth suicide, especially for young people of color, by transforming the way we communicate and connect about mental health.
Cameron Heyward (Pittsburgh Steelers) - Earning this past year’s Walter Peyton Man of the Year award, Cam started The Heyward House to help support Pittsburgh’s youth. This past year he also started Craig’s Closet, which provides young men with free dress clothes for interviews, internships, and more.
Andrew Vaughn (Chicago White Sox) - Started Digs with Dignity, an organization helping those trying to get back on their feet evolved into breaking the cycle of homelessness
Liam Hendricks (Boston Red Sox) - After battling non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma himself, he has spent time giving back - visiting other cancer warriors and survivors, donating across multiple organizations / causes and supporting American Servicemen and charities (despite his Australian background).
Travis Hamonic (Ottowa Senators) - Travis promotes making a difference in the lives of Indigenous young people through The Northern Project.
Misty Copeland (Ballet Dancer) - The Misty Copeland Foundation is a non-profit organization that aims to bring greater diversity, equity, and inclusion to dance, especially ballet.
A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces) - Wilson founded the A’ja Wilson Foundation to benefit children with dyslexia. She also engages in youth advocacy events and projects to help raise up our young females.
Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas Wings) - Arike is passionate about education reform and supporting schools locally and nationally. She has supported education reform through a variety of initiatives.
Alex Morgan (Newly Retired US Women’s Soccer Star) - Along with starting the Alex Morgan Foundation, which helps girls and women find confident paths forward in sport and in life, she has begun her retirement by committing to investing in female sports. For example she has committed to be part of Common Goal, which asks soccer players and other industry professionals to pledge 1% of their earnings to a central charitable fund.
Charity Williams (Canadian Women’s Rugby Team) - Charity has been using her voice to discuss racial justice,making the sport of rugby more inclusive and has raised awareness for Black Lives Matter.
Hopefully this list inspires you to look more into these athletes and others that are doing amazing work for the community. Or inspires you to get more involved in your community as well. There are so many more names and honorable mentions that could go on this list, and I’d imagine sometime in the future there will be a new list of people that deserve mention - but for today, I am glad to give these people their flowers. Who are some Athletes that you admire for their work on and off the field? Drop a comment below!
…Signing off and don’t forget to ~ Live the Dream ~