By Hillary Beard Schafer
Executive Director, Jefferson Awards for Public Service
Nnamdi Asomugha. Warrick Dunn. Jim Kelly. Ronnie Lott. Marty Lyons. Troy Vincent. Other than being among the best football players of all time, what do they have in common?
All have channeled their success into helping others. And all have won the Jefferson Award, America’s greatest honor for outstanding public service.
Although professional athletes are first distinguished by their time on the field, the best are distinguished by what they give back.
The Jefferson Awards is one of the largest multipliers of service in the United States. We focus on young Americans - our future and our present. We are extremely proud of our young leaders: Our Students in Action high schools have recorded 6.8 million hours of public service. Last year alone, our Lead360 Challenge brought 3,674 local youth service projects and the ideas of over 900,000 young Americans onto a national stage, inspiring each other to greater and greater acts of goodness.
NFL Player Engagement and the Jefferson Awards have the same goals for America’s youth: We both help prepare young Americans for life. We both provide tools that encourage the best in themselves and their peers – both on and off-the-field.
Our young Americans strive every day. To be leaders. To give to others. To improve their world. We help them get there. They look to role models like Jim Kelly, Ronnie Lott, Warrick Dunn, Marty Lyons, Troy Vincent, and Nnamdi Asomugha. And so do we.
On November 1st, 2014, we will launch this year’s Lead360 Challenge. Young Americans, ages 5 to 25, will sign up, do great work in their communities, upload their results and compete on a national stage. One lucky team will receive a special NFL prize! How about you?
Join us today. Go to www.jeffersonawards.org/lead360 and sign up to compete.