The following is a press release:<\/p>\n
The inaugural Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards, presented by ESPN and PlayStation, will celebrate and honor athletes, teams, nonprofits and members of the sports industry for using sport to serve communities and make a positive impact on society, it was announced by John Skipper, President, ESPN. The event, which will take place Tuesday, July 14 at the Conga Room at L.A. Live, will be the first of its kind, bringing together the leagues and sporting community to pay tribute to the collective good of sports.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Multiple sports-related leagues and\/or governing bodies \u2014 including MLB, MLS, NBA, NFL, NHL, USOC, USTA, WNBA, WWE and the Women\u2019s Sports Foundation \u2014 have nominated athletes, teams and community members that are using the power of sports to transform lives and uplift communities. Highlights of the evening will be featured during a 30-minute special on ESPN, July 23 at 8:30 p.m. ET.<\/p>\n
During the event, which will be hosted by Laila Ali, winners will be announced from among the finalists for two major award categories \u2014 Sports Humanitarian of the Year and Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year. Additionally, the event will celebrate four inaugural \u201cStuart Scott ENSPIRE Award\u201d (ESPN + inspire) winners, recognized for taking risks and using innovation to help the disadvantaged.<\/p>\n
\u201cThrough their selflessness and compassion, the Sports Humanitarian of the Year Award honorees are improving lives of many around the world,\u201d Skipper said. \u201cThe awards pay tribute to some incredible individuals and organizations and the extraordinary impact of their efforts on society.\u201d<\/p>\n
PlayStation is the presenting sponsor of the Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards, which will benefit the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund at The V Foundation \u2014 a fund that encourages cutting-edge research for minority populations suffering from cancer.\u00a0An independent panel of judges selected the finalists, including, Tracy Hoover, CEO of Points of Light,\u00a0 Sharon Roerty, Senior Program Officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Sab Singh, Founder of Sports Doing Good and professor at Farmingdale State College, and Caryl Stern, CEO of the US Fund for UNICEF.<\/p>\n
\u201cHumanitarianism is a central narrative of sport \u2014 as athletes aspire towards greatness, their ability to make a mark on society is as important as their athletic accomplishments,\u201d said Stern. \u201cThe Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards give rise to the increasingly important role that sports can play in society, and how the sports community can work together to build and inspire strong communities.\u201d<\/p>\n
SPORTS HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR<\/p>\n
The Sports Humanitarian of the Year Award is given to an athlete whose continuous, demonstrated leadership has created a positive impact on their community through sports. The honoree will receive a $75,000 grant (and $25,000 grant for each of the three finalists) from ESPN\u2019s Corporate Citizenship department to advance the impact of the charity related to the award-winning humanitarian efforts.<\/p>\n
Finalists (winner to be announced at awards ceremony July 14): <\/p>\n
Anquan Boldin, San Francisco 49ers (NFL): Inspired by his own humble beginnings, Boldin is a passionate advocate for underprivileged youth and works to help them to overcome their limitations by expanding educational and life opportunities. Through his foundation, he provides a network of support with mentoring and after-school programs, scholarships, and annual summer enrichment programs \u2014 all of which are creating tangible impacts in the lives of children in Baltimore, South Florida and San Francisco. Becoming an Oxfam Ambassador on his own accord, Boldin also has testified before Congress to strengthen human rights protections for communities impacted by the oil and mining industries in Africa. In 2014, Boldin and his wife, Dionne, made a $1 million pledge to help youth in need by providing 4-year college scholarships to four deserving high school graduates annually.
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\nTamika Catchings, Indiana Fever (WNBA): Growing up with a hearing impairment, Catchings was no stranger to being bullied, but she used her disability as inspiration and fuel to do her best in the classroom and on the court. Today, she teaches young girls about embracing their differences, building their self-esteem and overcoming obstacles. Through her Catch the Stars Foundation<\/i>, she promotes fitness, literacy and mentoring to youth in Indianapolis. Catchings has served on the U.S. Department of State\u2019s Council to Empower Women and Girls Through Sports and has supported countless programs in the community through her unwavering volunteer efforts and financial support.
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\nJohn Cena (WWE): WWE Superstar John Cena\u2019s popular catchphrase \u201cNever Give Up\u201d is also a real-life mantra that he uses to inspire those battling life-threatening illnesses. For more than a decade, Cena has been a force in granting the wishes of children in partnership with Make-A-Wish. As the most requested wish granter of all-time, he has granted nearly 500 wishes for children around the world. Additionally, Cena is also a passionate advocate in the fight against breast cancer, helping to spread the word about the importance of early detection.
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\nHenrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers (NHL): As founder of the Henrik Lundqvist Foundation and an ambassador for the Garden of Dreams Foundation, Lundqvist has seized the opportunity to positively impact the lives of children most in need through education and health services. He\u2019s touched the lives of thousands of children and families in New York City, the Dominican Republic and Sweden with both personal and financial support. He\u2019s also providing a platform to the next generation of community leaders, by selecting a group of young adults to complete community service projects and volunteer work, as part of his Young Ambassadors Program.<\/p>\n
SPORTS HUMANITARIAN TEAM OF THE YEAR<\/p>\n
The Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year represents a sports team (and their community relations department or foundation) that demonstrates how teamwork between athletes and their team\u2019s community relations or foundations can create a significant impact on a community or cause. The winner will receive a $75,000 grant (and $25,000 grant for each of the three finalists) from ESPN to the qualified charity related to the award-winning humanitarian efforts.<\/p>\n
Finalists (winners to be announced at awards ceremony July 14): \u00a0<\/p>\n
Chicago Bulls (NBA): The Chicago Bulls\u2019 work in the community is a collaborative effort among the team\u2019s players, fans, corporate partners, community partners, and front office staff. Community is a fundamental part of the team\u2019s business operations and the Bulls feel a responsibility to give back to the city and people who give so much to them. Last year, the Bulls organized over 100 community events focused on youth education, health and wellness, violence prevention, and the military with more than 30,000 people impacted. The team\u2019s Season of Giving alone, reached 16,000 people in the Chicago community, with 1,000 gifts and 2,200 meals provided to families in need. Additionally, the Bulls distributed $2.5 million in cash and in-kind donations in support of local organizations.
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\nPortland Timbers (MLS): Stand Together, the club\u2019s community outreach platform, harnesses the power of sport to improve the lives of children and families in the Portland metro area through targeted programs, deep partnerships and philanthropic giving. Stand Together focuses on youth activity, education and the environment, with an emphasis on cultural diversity and access for all to play. Since the club\u2019s inaugural MLS season in 2011, the Timbers have given more than $2.4 million in cash and in-kind donations, including their philanthropic work through the Portland Timbers Community Fund, the club\u2019s field-grants program, and various experiential and charitable activities. The club\u2019s signature Stand Together Week annually benefits 30+ different nonprofits throughout the greater Portland metro area. Since 2012, Stand Together Week has generated over 7,000 volunteer hours by 2,000 volunteers on more than 100 projects.
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\nSan Francisco 49ers (NFL): At the heart of the 49ers philanthropic efforts is their deep commitment to the San Francisco 49ers Academy, a middle school for low-income students in the highly challenged city of East Palo Alto. The team has supported the Academy from top to bottom with grants; player, alumni, ownership and staff involvement; mentorships; and facility enhancement. Inclusive of the contributions to the 49ers Academy, since 1992, the Foundation has donated $30.6 million to support nonprofits, contributing $4.6 million in 2014, including a $1 million grant to launch the 49ers STEM Leadership Institute to enable motivated and talented young scholars to reach their full potential.
\u00a0
\nWWE Community Relations: WWE leverages the power of its brand and platforms to help address important social issues worldwide, and through its partnerships, they support programs and initiatives that positively impact children and families around the world. WWE has granted more than 6,000 wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions through Make-A-Wish, and launched an anti-bullying program, Be a STAR, to encourage young people to treat each other with tolerance and respect through education and grassroots initiatives.\u00a0 More than 100,000 kids from all 50 U.S. states and 100 countries have taken the pledge to end bullying through the program. WWE is also a strong advocate for athletes with intellectual disabilities and breast cancer awareness through their work with Special Olympics and Susan G. Komen respectively, and they are staunch supporters of the U.S. military through their annual Tribute to the Troops celebration and partnership with Hire Heroes USA to help returning vets transition to the civilian workforce.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The following is a press release: The inaugural Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards, presented by ESPN and PlayStation, will celebrate and honor athletes, teams, nonprofits and members of the sports industry for using sport to serve communities and make a positive impact on society, it was announced by John Skipper, President, ESPN. The event,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5817","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5817","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5817"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5817\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5817"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5817"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5817"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}