Seahawks' Russell Wilson, Wife Ciara Give $1.75M to Fund Seattle Charter School

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and his wife, musician Ciara, have donated $1.75 million to a Seattle-area charter school, which will be branded as the Why Not You Academy after the pair's foundation, according to the Associated Press.

The couple will not be involved in the school's daily operations.

The program, which was formerly known as the Cascade Midway Academy, was set to begin operations this year but was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Founders Garth Reeves and Scott Canfield contacted Wilson's foundation for assistance, and the school will open next fall.

Amid political discussion surrounding the future of charter schools both in Washington state and nationally, Wilson told the Associated Press: "We've been so committed over the past four years to education. This isn't anything political for us."

He instead brought up their work with other education-focused efforts, which include a Seattle-based college-prep program for low-income students of color and an all-female, STEM-focused boarding school in Africa.