Cristiano Ronaldo

There are some people who choose to deny that Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best soccer players in the world. There are also claims that he is cocky and arrogant, but after taking a closer look at Ronaldo, there is no denying that he is a very generous person. According to multiple sources including an article by Bleacher Report, a respected sports news site, he is the most charitable athlete in the world. He raises money for numerous causes including abuse, adoption, fostering, orphans, AIDS & HIV, cancer, children, disaster relief, education, health, human rights, poverty, and slavery and human trafficking. The fact that he donates and cares about so many different causes speaks for the kind of person that he is.

There are many stories that show Ronaldo's kindness, but one that sticks out is from 2014 when he paid for the brain surgery of a 10 month old child. He didn't hesitate to pay the $83,000 for the surgery. He not only paid for the operation, but he also donated clothing and shoes to help raise money for the family. Ronaldo has also donated a large sum of money to many cancer causes, including a $165,000 donation to fund a Portuguese cancer center. Another story of Ronaldo's generosity comes from 2012 when he paid for the cancer treatment of a 9 year-old boy he met after a game. Doctors told the boy that there was nothing else they could do for him, so Ronaldo offered to get the child the best help possible.

It would be hard to explain all the charity efforts that Ronaldo is involved in, but there are a few big foundations that he helps often. He supports Aid Still Required, Cahonas Scotland, Save the Children, UNICEF, and World Vision. He is the type of person to try to connect with the people who reach out to him, especially if they are in need of help. Ronaldo's acts of kindness are not limited to big donations, as he has also set up personal meetings to show his appreciation for fans. He received a call explaining the situation of a boy who was in a coma for 3 months after a car crash. The boy was a big fan of Ronaldo and his team, Real Madrid, and woke up on a day when Ronaldo scored a goal for Portugal in a World Cup qualifying match. Ronaldo heard this story and immediately invited the boy and his family to a game with all costs covered. Cristiano Ronaldo continues to help others and change the lives of many people because of his power as an athlete.

Derek Jeter

Derek Jeter is not only one of the all time greats to play the sport of baseball, but he is also one of the most charitable players that the MLB has ever seen. Before he even made it to the major leagues, he told his father that he planned to set up a foundation that would have a positive impact on kids. In 1996, when Jeter was 22 years old, he launched the Turn 2 Foundation. The goal of this organization according to their website is to "motivate young people to turn away from drugs and alcohol and "TURN 2" healthy lifestyles." This foundation sets out to create the leaders of the future by encouraging academics and positive behavior. Jeter knew that kids would look up to him because of his talent in baseball, but he also showed that he is a true role model.


The Turn 2 Foundation has many programs which include: Jeter’'s Leaders, Turn 2 Us Healthy Lifestyles, Turn 2 After School, Turn 2 Baseball Clinics, Proud To Be Me, Turn 2 Smart Moves, Holiday Express and the Turn 2 Endowed Scholarships. He gives so much money and time to these programs because he genuinely wants to see as many kids as possible grow up to be successful in life. Jeter knows that he can use his influence as a successful, superstar athlete to convince children to make the correct choices in their daily lives. Now that Jeter has retired, he stated that he will commit more time to his foundation.



Aside from his own charity, Jeter supports other organizations such as Stand Up To Cancer, the Entertainment Industry Foundation, and Soles4Souls. He also hosts a celebrity golf outing where some of the biggest stars of multiple industries donate to his causes. He will continue to donate significant amounts of money to support a vast amount of charities and organizations. He is someone who truly believes in doing what's right, and this shows due to the fact that he wants to put more time and effort into his organization.

Peyton Manning

Most people know Peyton Manning because he is one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game of football, and he recently added to his accomplishments after winning his second Super Bowl last weekend. He is also known for his various skits on Saturday Night Live along with T.V. commercials with Nationwide and Papa Johns. What everyone doesn't know is that Manning does much more for the community than what is advertised. He doesn't want the publicity or the attention for his charitable acts, he genuinely likes to help people.

His biggest contributions come from the Peyback Foundation, which has done so much for St. Vincents Children's Hospital that it is named after Manning. The hospital, which is located in Indianapolis (where Peyton started his NFL career), was renamed in 2007. The exact donation amount from Manning is unknown, but it was estimated to be $50 million in 2007, so it is sure to be well over that mark now. When he left the Indianapolis Colts and joined the Denver Broncos, his contributions to the hospital didn't stop. He still makes phone calls to patients when he is unable to physically be there. The foundation also provides meals to low-income families on Thanksgiving, which most recently fed over 20,000 people. The examples I mentioned are just a few ways that the Peyback Foundation helps countless people.

Aside from the well-known Peyback Foundation, Manning tries to keep his charitable efforts private. Recently, one of his close friends and teammates, Jacob Tamme, was questioned about Peyton's community work. Tamme refused to tell the media anything because he knows that Manning would not want that, and media attention isn't his reason for doing things for the community. When the Aurora movie shooting occurred, Manning called the vice president of  Community Development for the Broncos and asked what he could do to help. He wound up calling and talking to the victims in the hospital because he genuinely wanted to help.



One of my favorite Peyton Manning stories is his encounter with U.S. Army Sgt. Ryan Patterson. Kristen Patterson, the wife of Ryan, wrote Manning a letter in 2014 explaining how big of a fan her husband was and that he would set alarms while serving in Afghanistan in order to listen to the games. Kristen did not leave any contact information, so Peyton went out of his way to find her with the help of the Bronco's public relations team. When he was finally able to reach Kristen on the phone, Manning invited the Pattersons to the hotel where the team would be staying in Cincinnati. He privately met with the Pattersons to talk and give them tickets to the game. He even apologized for not responding soon enough because he was behind on his letters, showing that he tries to respond to as many fans as possible.


Peyton Manning is one of the most caring athletes I have ever read about, and I know he will continue his community work. The stories are endless, and it is sad that we may never be able to hear some of them.

Damian Lillard

Damian Lillard is an NBA point guard for the Portland Trail Blazers. He has many accomplishments on the basketball court including the Rookie of the Year award and two All-Star appearances in his first three seasons, but those awards aren't the most important part of  Lillard's career. What makes him special is his journey to the NBA and what he has done since making it there. Coming out of high school, Lillard was only a 2 star recruit and nobody thought he had a chance to make it to the league. His abilities were criticized when he was drafted, but he has done nothing but prove people wrong. His perseverance is something that anyone can appreciate, and he has inspired many young athletes to believe in themselves.


In his first year in the NBA, Lillard won a "Community Assist Award" for his charity work. He was the key contributor to the Trail Blazers' "Respect, Pass It On" campaign that encouraged people to take a stand against bullying. In an interview, Lillard was quoted as saying, "Now that I’ve learned how many people look up to us as NBA players, I want to make the most of it by getting behind positive initiatives like anti-bullying" (Freeman, 2013). Lillard is also a Special Olympics Ambassador and has played in multiple charity games with Special Olympics players. He is part of their campaign "Spread the Word to End the Word." He understands the impact that he can make on the community and takes advantage of it.


Lillard has raised money for numerous charities and takes the time to give children and others memorable experiences while doing so. Last year he participated in an event at Lower Columbia College called Threes 4 Threes, where he donated money to three different charities. He also played basketball with some of the students there and gave them an experience that they will never forget. Another way Lillard gives back to fans is by using his own Instagram page to start a trend called #4BarFriday where he reposts his favorite freestyles from followers. His interaction with people shows how much he actually appreciates his fans and gives back to them.