Live United: Bob Sanders

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

Bob Sanders, safety of the Indianapolis Colts, lives united through charitable events and programs geared toward children in need. Since 2006, Bob has been donating tickets and t-shirts to disadvantaged youth in Indiana so they can attend regular season Colts home games. He took 35 children to the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis for a visit of Monster Manor and the Trick or Treat Theater during Halloween. During the winter holidays, Bob hosted 40 youth through the Angel Tree program for children of incarcerated parents, by providing them with gifts, a hot meal, autographs and a tour of the Colts Training Facility. In 2007, Bob supported Shepherd Community Center’s School Uniform Campaign by acting as a spokesman and taking 25 youth shopping for new uniforms. In December 2007, he partnered with the Cold Feet, Warm Shoes program to provide new winter hats and shoes to more than 350 school children. As a part of Oprah Winfrey’s “Big Give” project, Bob visited residents in Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, to congratulate them on raising more than a million dollars for a community bike trail and served as a special correspondent for Oprah. He also hosts the annual Bob Sanders Skills and Drills Football Camp in my nearby Erie, Pennsylvania in which over 500 youth attend to learn the necessary skills for succeeding — on and off the field:

“Seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces has really changed me. It brings a lot of the kid out in me knowing that they’re really enjoying it.”

This year, Bob will officially launch The Bob Sanders Chasing Dreams Foundation to provide educational resources and opportunities for underprivileged youth to attend college.

For 35 years, United Way and the National Football League and its teams have been working together to help strengthen America’s communities. Today, the NFL and United Way are leveraging resources and relationships to raise awareness about the importance of youth health and fitness and create opportunities for kids to live healthier lifestyles. It’s part of United Way’s 10-year goal to increase by one third the number of youth who are healthy and avoid risky behavior. United Way is proud to partner with the NFL and we incite you to join us. You can help support youth fitness by volunteering your time, lending your voice or contributing to youth fitness programs.

See also – Live United: Santana Moss

Source: LiveUnited.org, Photo: United Way