One for the good guys

With all the off the field drama and trouble that a lot of NFL players seem to be getting into lately ,its very easy to forget the good guys of the NFL that not only shine on the field ,but also off the field. In today's media ,good deeds seem to get a small amount of air time ,while Brett Favre texting mess or the big Ben mess goes on and on for what seems to be months. I guess its just human nature but it seems people would much rather harp on the bad, while the good gets a small mention here or there.

So here at Steelers N Stuff I have decided to give a shout out to just a few of the good guys on the Pittsburgh Steelers that not only shine on the field but also off. Let me start off by saying that there are many of these type of players on the Steelers and through out the NFL too many to name all here, but I will name just a few and in no particular order...To all not mentioned know that your work is greatly appreciated and please keep it up. So here is my shout out to a few of many good guys on the Pittsburgh Steelers:

Hines Ward : He is a great player on an off the field . He has and attends numerous charity events. In 2006 he established the Hines Ward Helping Hands Foundation that among many other things helps biracial kids and the discrimination and hardships they face in Korea and world wide .The Helping Hands Foundation also helps provide opportunities to children in the areas of literacy and basic education so that they will be equipped with the tools and resources necessary to achieve success in life.

Ward was named the Steeler's Walter Payton man of the year award winner in 2008, an award that recognizes a players off the field community service excellence as well as his playing excellence. Since joining the Steelers in 1998 Ward has participated in the Salvation Army's Project Bundle Up which provides underprivileged kids with new winter-outer wear. He also  host a charity softball game yearly . Ward also host the Hoge/Starks/Ward golf outing that benefits The Caring Foundation and Caring Place . Proceeds benefit families in Western Pa. by raising funds to provide free health care benefits for children and adults and free grief support services for children ,adolescents, and their family's who are struggling with the death of a parent or sibling .
Ward also takes part in many team charity events such as Make -A-Wish... Take a player to school and Children Hospital visits to name just a Few. In September 2010 President Obama named Hines Ward to the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Americans .
The commission coordinates with government agencies to get more Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to take part in federal programs for businesses, agriculture, economic development and several other fields.

Keep up the great work Hines Ward ! Learn more about Hines Ward and his foundation at http://www.hinesward.com/

Max Starks : Starks is not only great on the field but off. He was named the 2009 Walter Payton man of the year award winner for his off the field community service excellence as well as his playing excellence. Starks also started The Max Starks Found to promote childhood literacy and education.Starks and his mother Elleanor help raise funds yearly for breast cancer and breast cancer awareness and co host Adagio Hot Pink Pittsburgh ,which raises funds to provide breast and cervical cancer screening for uninsured woman in Western Pa. Stark's mother Elleanor is a 18 year breast cancer survivor .
Starks also host The Max Starks  Home Team Thanksgiving Food Drive that benefits The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank .Starks also provides a turkey with all the fixings for 200 families in need .

Max Starks has a great appreciation for the men and woman in the U.S. Military and took part in the NFL USO tour in 2006 a 12 day tour of military bases in Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf . Starks has visited V.A hospitals in Pittsburgh and is a part of the Pros vs GI Joe that helps link active duty soldiers in Iraq to their favorite athletes . Starks also host  the Hoge/Starks/Ward golf outing that benefits The Caring Foundation and Caring Place . Max is always willing to lend a helping hand in the many Steeler team charity events .Project Bundle Up ...Steelers Fright night for The Homeless Children Fund...Animal friends and the teams annual fashion show benefit to name just a few .Keep up the great work Max Starks! ..To learn more about The Max Starks Fund go to The Pittsburgh Foundation and also http://www.steelers.com/ and follow the community link

Charlie Batch : Charlie Batch has not only been a great player on the field but even greater off the field.

His Best of the Batch Foundation does many great things for the community and underprivileged kids . The foundations  goal is to provide financially challenged, underprivileged youth and their families with the purpose, desire, and resources to give their best efforts in all they do throughout their lives.

By developing after school programs, scholarships for students, restoring playgrounds, and offering sports and leisure activities, they show our commitment to the success of all our youth and their families. The encouragement and involvement of the community stimulates that success.

 One of his largest programs is Project C.H.U.C.K. Project C.H.U.C.K. stands for Continuously Helping Uplift Community Kids. Their goal is to provide  youth with the resources they need in order to give their best efforts in all they do, both now and in the future. It's for boys and girls 7-18 years old. For six weeks, participants play a total of 20 basketball games with the ultimate goal of advancing in the playoffs and to the championship game on Championship Day. In addition to providing children with something to do, Project C.H.U.C.K. teaches them discipline, self-confidence, team orientation, and the fundamental skills of basketball, all while having a great time!

Among the many programs that Best of the Batch Foundation supports here are just a few......

Toys for Tots Literacy Program
The Toys for Tots Foundation began a new chapter in the organization's charitable efforts with the start of a year-round literacy program. To kick-off the program in Pittsburgh, PA, Charlie Batch read one of his favorite childhood books to local children at the Carnegie Pittsburgh Library in Homewood, PA on March 11, 2008. 

 NCJW Batch Packs for Kids  Charlie Batch and the National Center for Jewish Women took 350 students school supply shopping to get them ready for the new school year. Charlie, along with a handful of his Steelers' teammates, and the NCJW distributed "NCJW Batch Packs" at Barrett Elementary School on September 4, 2007

.Architecture Building Communities
Carnegie Mellon University teamed up with the Best of the Batch Foundation to develop a free program offering students the opportunity to design an architectural project for a vacant property in Homestead, PA. With full participation in the program, students are eligible to apply for a need-based full-tuition scholarship worth $4,185 to the Pre-College Architecture program at CMU.

Best of the Batch Club
Students in grades K-5 must demonstrate excellence in: school work, attendance, behavior, and extra-curricular activities during selected months out of the school year. Students are then rewarded by attending a special field trip with Charlie.

Batch and Me
On-going speaker series program that focuses on motivating student athletes to excel both athletically and academically.

Summer Reading Program
In partnership with the Carnegie library of Homstead, neighborhood kids are encouraged to read throughout the summer.

Tutoring Program
Students in need of educational assistance can team up with qualified teachers and mentors for personal instruction.

Field Trips
Designed to expose students to culture, education, nature, careers, and history.

Scholarships
Winners of essay competitions for graduating seniors will have an opportunity to receive scholarships for continuing education. 

Batch has also started  an annual fund raiser called IN THE POCKET with Charlie Batch ,now in it's fourth year that raises funds for Best of the Batch Foundation's reading & computer literacy program. During the event you can play ping pong ,billiards,poker and participate in an auction against other Steelers and celebrities
Charlie Batch is always willing to lend a hand to many of the Steelers Team charities events and the community .Keep up the great work Charlie Batch! If you would like to learn more about Best of the Batch Foundation go to www.batchfoundation.org 

  

So there you have it a shout out to the good guys who`s deeds sometimes get overlooked in todays tabloid socioety ...So the next time you hear about the bad over and over again just know that there are plenty of good guys who do good things, but don`t get near enough air time for the good they do and please remember this is just a few of the good and there are plenty more on the Steelers and NFL in general

I want to thank  www.hinesward.com/   www.batchfoundation.org   and http://www.steelers.com/ for much of the information I gathered  ...Don`t be afraid to learn more about these foundations and donate if you can.

You can learn more about the many Steelers who are doing great stuff for charity by going to http://www.steelers.com/ and following the community link.

Thanks for reading and spread the word about the blog!