Russell Wilson Named One of ‘Earth’s Mightiest Athletes’ for Philanthropic Efforts Helping Youth
June 21 2021 - 1:30PM
Business Wire
Wilson to Be Honored During ESPN’s Sports
Humanitarian Awards on July 12
NFL Superstar Celebrates Super Heroic
Accolade on Father’s Day at Disneyland Resort with Kids He’s
Impacted with His ‘Why Not You Foundation’
Today, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was revealed
and celebrated as one of ‘Earth’s Mightiest Athletes,’ a new
collective of sports superstars that embody the positive
characteristics of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes—The Avengers. ‘Earth’s
Mightiest Athletes’ aims to acknowledge and honor sports champions
making positive change, recognizing their outstanding achievements
on the playing field and their super-powered community service.
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Russell Wilson celebrated being named one
of ‘Earth’s Mightiest Athletes’ with visit to Avengers Campus at
Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim, California, June 20,
2021, alongside Captain America and kids he's worked to support
through his Why Not You Foundation. (Christian Thompson/Disneyland
Resort)
First in joining the inaugural all-hero athlete team, Wilson is
recognized for exhibiting the qualities of Captain America,
including agility, strength and courage for those most in need.
Wilson has been instrumental in providing help to those in need,
founding the ‘Why Not You Foundation’, a nonprofit dedicated to
fighting poverty through education and empowering youth to lead
with a why not you attitude. Wilson and the full consortium of
‘Earth’s Mightiest Athletes,’ will be honored at the Sports
Humanitarian Awards on July 12 in New York, with a television
special airing on July 24 at 2 p.m. ET on ABC. Guided by the core
principals of confidence, conviction, dedication, giving and
respect, the team’s collective action provides a useful and
practical lens for the athlete humanitarian, the athlete mentor and
the athlete activist.
“Captain America possesses the same never-give-up spirit that I
aspire to achieve every day, especially when it comes to helping
kids,” said Russell Wilson. “It’s very cool to be viewed on the
same level as such an iconic hero, and very special to get to
celebrate Father’s Day with some of the world’s most inspiring
young people at The Happiest Place On Earth.”
On Father’s Day, as a way of commemorating Wilson as one of
‘Earth’s Mightiest Athletes,’ Wilson and a group of Los
Angeles-based kids he’s worked to support through his Why Not You
Foundation and affiliated national youth mentoring organization
Friends of The Children, embarked on a magical day of play at
Disneyland Resort. Festivities included an action-packed visit to
Disney California Adventure Park, where everyone had a chance to
live out their own Super Hero dreams at the all-new Avengers
Campus. The day was underscored by web slinging fun on WEB
Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure and a heroic encounter with
Captain America himself. The magic continued with a surprise stop
at the Downtown Disney LEGO store, where he and his special guests
got to take home new Captain America-inspired LEGO sets and
collectibles.
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“Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, The Avengers, have shown us time and
again that when we refuse to give up, we can conquer any
challenge,” said Ken Potrock, president, Disneyland Resort.
“Russell exemplifies excellence on the football field, but the work
he has done to support at-risk youth and their communities creates
a lasting legacy just like Captain America. We couldn’t think of a
better way to celebrate his outstanding achievement than a visit to
Avengers Campus, our destination for all heroes.”
In addition to his foundation efforts, Wilson has worked to help
donate more than $9 million to support the battle against cancer.
He has also made weekly trips to Seattle Children’s Hospital during
his nine-year career with the Seahawks to visit with patients
getting treatment, and during the pandemic, Wilson stepped up to
donate a million meals to families in need. In February, Wilson was
named the NFL’s Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. The Walter
Payton NFL Man of the Year Award recognizes an NFL player for his
excellence on and off the field and is the most prestigious award a
player can receive. Additionally, he has been strong advocate for
social justice and equality. In 2020, Wilson co-hosted the ESPY
Awards with Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe, during which he opened the
show with a moving speech about the fight for racial equality in
response to movement for Black lives across the world.
In September 2021, as a part of his continued effort to impact
young people, Russell and Ciara will celebrate the grand opening of
Why Not You Academy, a tuition-free charter public school just
south of Seattle that focuses on building achievement, community,
and empowerment and prepares students to create and thrive in
future careers. The school hopes to enhance the mission of Why Not
You Foundation by providing today’s youth with tools to become
tomorrow’s leaders with a ‘why not you’ attitude.
About the Why Not You Foundation
Founded in 2014, Russell Wilson and Ciara’s Why Not You
Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to fighting poverty through
education, empowering today’s youth to lead with a why not you
attitude. The foundation supports student access to equal education
opportunities, children’s health and food security initiatives. Its
mission is to equip today’s youth with the skills and opportunities
to become tomorrow’s leaders. In Fall 2020, the foundation
announced its first Why Not You Academy, a school that blends
real-world applications with classroom learning. Learn more at
www.whynotyoufdn.org.
About the Sports Humanitarian Awards
The seventh annual Sports Humanitarian Awards is a celebration
of the impact made by athletes, teams and sports industry
professionals who are using sports to make a difference in their
communities and throughout the world. This year, the Sports
Humanitarian Awards will take place on Monday, July 12 at The
Rooftop at Pier 17, located within the Seaport in New York City,
with a 90-minute television special airing on Saturday, July 24 at
2 p.m. ET on ABC. The Awards will be hosted by actor and author
Taye Diggs.
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Jon Olivero jon.olivero@disney.com
Erin Barrier erin.j.barrier@disney.com
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