Most Awesomely Generous Sports Stars on the Planet
Cristiano Ronaldo was just named the world's most charitable athlete.
Beyond soccer goals and end zones, surf boards and tennis rackets, sports have long provided a platform from which to launch great endeavors in philanthropy. Now, athletes like Ronaldo are being recognized for using that platform zealously and often.
According to Look to the Stars, DoSomething.org has compiled a list of the world's most charitable athletes, a list dubbed "Athletes Gone Good." Three components were used to determine the top individuals: athlete social media influence, recommendations from the Athletes Gone Good advisory committee and public voting.
The following are 10 of the more popular athletes to make the cut. Read on to see what awesome stuff they've been up to, and check out the full list of Athletes Gone Good here.
Bethany Hamilton
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Bethany Hamilton is a surfer who survived a shark attack when she was just 13 years old. Despite losing her left arm, she went on to realize her dream of going pro in 2007.
According to Newsweek, Hamilton is active in charity work. She has her own foundation, Friends of Bethany, which provides support to amputees. Look to the Stars also reported Hamilton has been a spokesperson for World Vision and the Beating the Odds Foundation, and she has been involved in numerous other charitable missions.
Lindsey Vonn
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Lindsey Vonn is widely regarded as one of the world's greatest female skiers. She won Olympic gold in Vancouver in 2010 and has achieved four World Cup overall championships.
Vonn also has her own foundation, the Lindsey Vonn Foundation, which focuses on community growth through the "empowerment of girls." She told Ann Donahue of RedBull.com in June, "We just gave out our first scholarship to a girl in Minnesota. We're trying to figure out camp dates and collaborations with other foundations. Things are on a good track."
According to Kelley McMillan of the New York Times, Vonn has also done work with the Wounded Warrior Project and Wings for Life.
Ronda Rousey
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Ronda Rousey is probably the most buzz-worthy female athlete in the world right now. She is an Olympic bronze medalist in judo and the undefeated UFC women's bantamweight champion. She has taken just over two minutes to defeat her last four opponents combined.
She also uses her ever-growing notoriety to give back. On her most recent trip to Brazil to fight Bethe Correia, Rousey made a sizable donation to a judo institute and gave her UFC title belt to a school there. She is even using her newly coined term "do-nothing b---h" to help raise funds for Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, according to Damon Martin of Fox Sports.
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Richard Sherman
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Richard Sherman is a two-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion.
The Seattle Seahawks cornerback is also big on generosity. He started his foundation, Blanket Coverage, in 2013 to help children receive clothing and supplies for school. The organization hosted a celebrity softball game in July that featured superstars like Kevin Durant, Marshawn Lynch and Russell Wilson.
Sherman has also supported the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center and the MAD MAC Foundation, according to Look to the Stars.
Maria Sharapova
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Maria Sharapova is a five-time Grand Slam champion and currently the No. 2-ranked female tennis player in the world.
She is also active with many charities. According to the International Business Times, Sharapova has her own foundation and has been involved with Variety, the Children's Charity and Sole 4 Souls. She has also served as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme since 2007.
LeBron James
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LeBron James is four-time NBA MVP, two-time league champion and widely regarded as the best basketball player on Earth.
James is also constantly in the news for his charitable efforts and donations. His LeBron James Family Foundation features a mentoring program to help students graduate high school. In 2013, he donated $1 million to renovate his high school's gym.
In addition, James just announced a partnership with the University of Akron that will provide four-year scholarships to students who complete his foundation's I Promise program. According to Jerry Barca of Forbes, there are currently over 1,000 students in the program.
Neymar
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Neymar is one of the world's best young soccer talents. The Brazilian star was the MVP of the 2013 Confederations Cup and has tallied 13 international goals in 21 appearances.
Despite his young age—the Barcelona forward is only 23 years old—Neymar has already contributed much to the philanthropic community. He partnered with the FC Barcelona Foundation in 2013 to "promote sport as a tool for social integration for young people," according to the foundation's press materials.
And in 2014, his Neymar Jr. Project Institute began working with PayPal and Waves for Water to provide clean water to Brazilians.
Serena Williams
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Serena Williams has won 21 Grand Slam singles titles. Her win at Wimbledon rounded out the second time in her career she has won four consecutive majors.
Her charitable efforts are significant as well. The Serena Williams Fund focuses on preventing violence and improving access to education. She became a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF in 2011 and partnered with Build African Schools in 2008 to open a secondary school in Kenya.
In 2014, Williams announced a partnership with the Caliber Foundation to support victims of illegal gun violence.
John Cena
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John Cena has gained worldwide fame through his career as a professional wrestler and actor. He is currently the WWE U.S. Heavyweight Champion.
Cena is also incredibly generous. He has granted over 460 wishes for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the most in the organization's history, according to Tim Donnelly of the New York Post.
Cena also appeared on Today recently to help surprise the son of one of the Charleston shooting victims.
Cristiano Ronaldo
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Portuguese soccer sensation Cristiano Ronaldo topped the list of Athletes Gone Good. The three-time Ballon d'Or winner may have a pretty-boy reputation, but his acts of generosity are nothing short of heartwarming.
According to Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times, Ronaldo donated $83,000 in 2014 to cover the cost of brain surgery for a 10-year-old boy. Baxter also reported that in 2004, Ronaldo flew to Indonesia to raise money for tsunami victims after glimpsing a photo of an affected boy wearing his jersey.
Ronaldo became a global ambassador for Save the Children in 2013, and the list goes on.
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