Influential Athlete: Russell Wilson
This edition’s influential athlete is Russell Wilson, who plays quarterback in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 2014, Russell and his wife Ciara created the Why Not You Foundation. This foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to fighting poverty through education, and empowering youth to have the “Why Not You?” attitude. In other words, the organization challenges youth to embrace opportunities, overcome obstacles, and make positive impacts throughout their lives. The foundation also supports equal opportunities for students, and even children’s health and food-security initiatives. Wilson works hard at extending the foundation’s support and impact by advocating for research into illnesses like pediatric cancer, making visits to various children’s hospitals across the U.S., and partnering with various organizations like the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of America. One of the foundation’s more recent endeavors surprised ten nonprofit organizations from Colorado and Utah with $100,000. These grants were given to help further build their work for creating healthier communities. You can donate to this charity here.
—Cheyenne Schreiner
Photo by an unknown photographer, licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND.