New York, March 6, 2012 – NFL Vice President of Player Engagement TROY VINCENT has been honored with a 2012 Jefferson Award for outstanding public service by an athlete, it was announced today. Vincent, who joined the NFL in 2010 following a 15-year NFL career, was recognized for his dedication to community development and outreach.
Troy and his wife Tommi founded Love Thy Neighbor, a community development corporation in their hometown of Trenton, N.J. which has awarded nearly $500,000 in college scholarships to inner-city students and in 2011 assisted more than 850 families with life necessities. At the NFL, Troy oversees NFL Player Engagement which assists players in reaching their highest potential on and off-the-field with guidance, support, and resources provided before, during, and after their NFL experiences.
Also among the honorees are two Virginia sisters whose national nonprofit based on treasure hunts has raised more than $7 million in scholarships for the children of military veterans, a Georgia high school student whose environmental activism has led to the recycling of 8,000 tons of waste and a Yale University violin virtuoso whose concerts have raised close to $5 million to help fight children’s neurological disease are among this year’s recipients of the 2012 Jefferson Awards. In addition, the Tribeca Film Festival, accepted by cofounders Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff, and pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc. were honored.
Known as the “Nobel Prize for public service,” the Jefferson Awards honor extraordinary individuals and companies whose profound achievements and commitment to their communities are making the world a better place to live.
“This year’s Jefferson Awards recipients have made real and lasting differences in the lives of countless people,” said Sam Beard, who with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and U.S. Senator Robert Taft, Jr. founded the Jefferson Awards, now in their 40th year. “Their remarkable contributions – in fundraising, activism, community service and the arts – nobly reflect one of the founding qualities of our republic: a commitment to help one another and serve the greater good. The Jefferson Awards is proud to bestow on them this fitting tribute in recognition of the breadth and scope of their extraordinary achievements.”
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