Tis the season, and the Seattle Seahawks have been in the holiday spirit for the last month. Several players on Seattle’s roster have been giving back to the local community in a variety of efforts.
Thanks to the Seahawks PR team, we have a list of which players used their time and resources to make a positive impact in the greater Seattle area. Kudos to those who continue to serve their community, including the many players across the NFL who choose to do their work anonymously.
QB Russell Wilson
Wilson and his wife Ciara’s Why Not You Foundation teamed up with DICK’s Sporting Goods’ Sports Matter program to surprise a group of young athletes from the Seattle-based nonprofit Rainier Athletes. Wilson surprised each kid with a $200 DICK’s gift card, and then he surprised their representatives with a $25,000 grant from the DICK’s Sporting Goods Sports Matter program. Wilson spent one-on-one time with the kids as their personal shopping assistant, talking about life and what sports have meant to his life.
Wilson also spent time recently at Seattle's Union Gospel Mission.
TE Jacob Hollister and WR Malik Turner
Hollister and Turner spent time at Spokane Children’s Hospital visiting patients, sharing stories, giving autographs and spreading holiday joy. While they were there, they even got to celebrate a patient’s victorious bell ringing for beating cancer.
WR Malik Turner
Turner recently spent time at Treehouse, a non-profit organization in Seattle whose mission is to provide support for children in foster care to be able to finish their education, pursue their dreams and excel in life. Turner used his time there to connect with the kids, share stories, sign autographs and offer encouragement.
DL L.J. Collier
Collier joined youth from the South Seattle Boys & Girls club to spend quality time. After sharing his story and answering all of their questions, Collier then went to the Salvation Army to help set up, serve dinner and clean up for the Renton Community.
Holiday shopping fun! 🤗@ljcollier91 took four local kids on a holiday shopping spree, joined by teammates @christmas_93, @nazjones90, and Bryan Mone! pic.twitter.com/6fcKSIsRsy
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) December 19, 2019
RB C.J. Prosise and G Khalil McKenzie
Prosise and McKenzie hosted Thanksgiving dinner for 400 local youth from the Southwest Boys & Girls Club. Their Thanksgiving Takeover included a full Thanksgiving meal complete with all of the sides and dressings, a Seahawks gear raffle, a photo booth and other fun activities for the kids and their families to enjoy.
DE Jadeveon Clowney
Clowney hosted his annual “Jingle-A-Thon with Jadeveon” for local youth whose lives have been impacted by having an incarcerated family member. Clowney, along with defensive tackles Bryan Mone and Demarcus Christmas, took 25 kids from the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound on a shopping spree. Each kid received a gift card to do some holiday shopping and had the chance to explore, eat dinner and take photos with the Seahawks players. Clowney’s goal was to inspire each kid and give them a holiday experience they’d never forget.
LB Bobby Wagner
Wagner visited the Admiral Safeway in West Seattle to help box Thanksgiving meals for nine tiny house homeless villages run by the Low-Income Housing Institute. Wagner has worked with the organization since last summer when he purchased and delivered their wish list of supplies, including appliances.
This Thanksgiving, Wagner wanted to continue his support for the villages by supplying Thanksgiving meals for sites that would otherwise go without the holiday meal. While Wagner was boxing the meals, he also offered to pay for shoppers’ groceries for as long as he was there boxing meals. Wagner was recognized as the NFLPA Community MVP in Week 14.
G D.J. Fluker and DL Branden Jackson
Location: Sandpoint Elementary
Involved: DJ Fluker and Brandon Jackson
Activity: Hosted 40 after school YMCA program kids and gave everyone gifts, talked to them about what they wanted to be when they grew up and discussed the importance of cherishing family during the holiday season.
Captains Blitz
Location: Virginia Mason Medical Center
Involved: Rookies (L.J. Collier, Xavier Turner, Penny Hart, Bryan Mone, Phil Haynes, Ben Burr-Kirven, Demarcus Christmas, Travis Homer)
Activity: Room visits, mostly adults.
Seattle Children’s Hospital Visit
Location: Seattle Children’s Hospital
Involved: Mostly veteran players (Russell Wilson, Michael Dickson, Jacob Hollister, Brandon Jackson, Malik Turner, Cody Barton, DK Metcalf, Ed Dickson, Emmanuel Ellerbee)
Activity: Room and playroom visit.
Spreading holiday cheer. 💙
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) December 18, 2019
We spent our day with patients at @seattlechildren and @VirginiaMason, helping make their day a little brighter. pic.twitter.com/APU5Qx8BAj