Ballerific Charity – A Look At Some Charitable Athletes

We may know them as the fastest sprinters, most accurate throwers, beastly runners, and most explosive athletes of our generation; but there is always more than meets the eye. Outside of making moves on the floor, here are just a few athletes who are making major changes in the lives of others.

1) Marshawn Lynch-Seattle Seahawks: Known as “Beast Mode” on the field, this baller is making an huge impact in his hometown of Oakland, CA. As the creator of his “Fam 1st Foundation,” Lynch hosts annual toy drives, turkey giveaways, coat drives. In the offseason he also regularly surprises students at local inner-city schools.

2) Derrick Rose-Chicago Bulls: The Rose that grew from the concrete, D Rose knows exactly how tough it can be growing up in Chicago. Though many people knows Rose as the explosive 2011 NBA MVP, many don’t know  of his selfless work off the court. The Chicago native has not only paid for multiple funerals of strangers who lost their lives to gun violence (including a 6-month old) but has attended them and engaged with the family.

3) LeBron James– Cleveland Cavaliers: Arguably one of the biggest athletes in the world, it would be easy for King James to forget about local issues. However, this Akron native has done the exact opposite. Not only has has pledged to send over 1,000 kids to college through his Family Foundation program, but he has started an initiative to help local parents obtain their GED.

4) Cristiano Ranoldo– Real Madrid: This Portuguese footballer has used his global position to reach out to many different outlets. Back in 2014, after being asked to donate items to help raise $83,000 for a 10 month old who was in need of surgery, Ranoldo paid for the entire operation out of pocket. He has also donated hundreds of thousands to cancer patients and funds.

5) Ndamukong Suh– Miami Dolphins: we often hear about Suh’s on field actions, but very rarely do we hear about what he does off of the field. Suh donated $2.6 million to his alma mater of Nebraska. Suh also gives back through his multiple charities, including his Suh Family Foundation.

Now, of course these are not the only athletes who are giving back in a positive way. Stars from Serena Williams, to Russell Westbrook, to Tom Brady are all known for their charitable acts as well. Shout out to these Ballers for being so dope!

Sources:Instagram.com/ItsElsii(picture)