To the surprise of most people around the league, especially those within the Alouettes organization, Chiu announced his retirement from professional football via Twitter on opening day of the 2010 training camp. Though his career in the CFL had come to an end, Chiu’s consistency would not be phased as he now coaches with the Concordia Stingers and has continued to work and lend a helping hand in the community.

“Now that I’ve I retired I’m focusing more of my time with the Chinese community services here in Montreal, the family services for the Asian community and helping with the children’s hospitals,” explained Chiu. “My job now is at Concordia and it requires a lot of my time, needless to say, but I continue to try to give back whenever I can.”

Bryan and his younger sister were raised by a single mother, an experience that helped turn him into the man he is now.

“My dad was killed when I was two-years old and my mom had to raise me and my sister at a very young age so it really helped me to give back and just show that you can make it,” he said.

“To see my mom’s struggles, she was a 25-year old woman with myself being two and my sister being one. She didn’t have an education, no job, she couldn’t speak English, no car and basically had no money to her name and we relied a lot on the community. People helped her get her degree and get a job and put us through school and everything. It was just something ingrained in me that we had to give back,” described Bryan.

For some athletes, the stress of becoming a role model can be overwhelming and unwelcome in their private lives. For Bryan Chiu, the chance to pass knowledge and skill down to a younger generation is an opportunity that just can’t be passed on.

“The kids look up to us and we can pass along a positive message and let them know that we’re really no different than any other person out there like your teachers or parents,” said Chiu. “What we get to do is play a game and we’re on TV a little bit, but were just regular people and basically show them that it’s great to be a professional athlete and at the same time be people that can instill positive things in them,” he added.

Aside from giving back to the community that had helped Bryan and his family for so long, Chiu has continued to keep football as a part of his everyday life. He serves as the assistant offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Concordia University where he is happily giving back to the sport that had been there for him for his entire life.

“When I retired I had opportunities to coach at the pro level but I think the biggest thing for me was to be able to help younger kids aspire to reach their goals. At our level the kids here are coming out of high school and they’re still at the age where we can really help them and teach them everything we can and basically help them become student athletes,” he explained.

“A lot of these kids are away from home and don’t have their parents, so what we do here is we’re almost like their sergeant fathers and that’s rewarding to me personally to be able to help these kids,” elucidated Chiu.

“My favourite part is seeing the success our kids have, not just in football but seeing them get their degrees, seeing them smile when we win games, it builds so much character in football,” he added.

Bryan Chiu enjoyed one of the best careers an athlete could ask for. He played for a city he called his home and will be remembered by Alouettes fans for years to come. His importance to the city of Montreal is measured by his impact on the community, followed by his excellence on the football field. He is a proud Canadian and an ideal role model for those young and old.

“Giving back is an important part in being a professional athlete and a lot of  the time athletes get bad reps, but there’s really only a few guys like that. A lot of the guys in the CFL are really community oriented. I think the CFL has done a great job at promoting these guys and giving the fans a chance to relate to these athletes as regular people who just want to share their story and help this country be a better place.”

George Foreman was born to JD and Nancy Foreman in the town of Marshall, Texas, in January of 1949. By the age of 15, George found himself as a street brawler in the streets of Houston’s 5^th Ward where he lived off cheap bottles of wine and seemed to have no bright future ahead. His luck and outlook seemed to change after catching an athletic hero on TV promoting Lynden Johnson’s Job Corps program which allowed individuals like Foreman to have a second chance at a successful future. Wasting no time to change his luck, George was on his way to California where he met Program Councilor and boxing coach, Doc Broaddus, who motivated Foreman to become a fighter by using the ring as his outlet appose to his ways as a street brawler.

Soon after he began training, Foreman built an impressive amateur record which became publicly noticed during the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City where the Texas native won a gold medal in what was only his 25^th amateur fight. One year later, George made his transition into a professional and within two years became a Number 1 contender; as he was the top ranked challenger.  By 1972, George Foreman had an impressive 37-0 record with a majority of his wins coming by knockout.

On January 22^nd, 1973, Foreman got his first title shot taking on then-champion, Joe Frazier, in Kingston, Jamaica. Going into the fight Frazier was heavily favored, but the heavy hitting challenger knocked out the champ in the second round, sending him to the canvas and winning the Heavyweight Title for the first time in his career. Foreman went on to successfully defend his title twice before losing it in one of the most memorable fights in boxing history when he took on Muhammad Ali in the Rumble in the Jungle; which took place in Kinshasa, Zaire.

Many in the boxing world speculated that the loss to Ali had affected Foreman and had maybe put an end to his short career as he took all of 1975 off from the sport until his return in 1976. After a string of victories, Foreman would again lose, this time to Jimmy Young in 1977, which would be his last fight for an entire decade.

Following his loss to Jimmy Young, Foreman states that he had a religious experience in his dressing room. This experience is what led to his then-retirement from the sport as he followed his faith and was ordained a Minister; preaching in his hometown of Houston, Texas. After years of preaching, George founded the George Foreman Youth and Community Center and opened its doors in 1984. The center was created and funded through money Foreman had saved throughout his retirement and his earnings from his boxing career.

The intentions of the Youth Center would be to provide troubled unguided youth the chance to be a part of a larger family and find guidance and positivity through their peers and counselors at the center; much like Foreman did at the age of 15. Heavily influenced by the Job Corps, the George Foreman Youth and Community Center gave children the choice of joining and was in no way religious based or biased. Through various supportive programs and initiatives, George’s Youth Center allowed the opportunity for new exposure and a broad outlook on what can be accomplished with hard work and determination.

Though the Youth Center was assisting numerous children and young adults, funds began to run dry by 1987 because as documented, Foreman had been funding the project through his own financial estate. Showing hints of the true fighter he was, George was not willing to look or ask for assistance and elected to continue to fund his project in efforts to stay operational. With support and love from those within the Youth Center, Foreman returned to the ring in 1987 at the age of 38.

With many high risks involved with his comeback, Foreman seemed to pick up where he left off 10 years prior as he re-entered the boxing world with a string of victories and a new positive image. Foreman would gain the right to a title shot in 1991, but lost to Evander Holyfield in a bout that not many critics gave Foreman a chance to win. However, George would again have a shot at the title he lost to Muhammad Ali in Kinshasa, Zaire, as he fought Michael Moorer for the Heavyweight Title. At age 45, Foreman became the oldest fighter to ever win the Heavyweight Title, winning it 20 years after his loss to Ali.

Foreman would continue to fight and financially support his Youth Center, not only through his financial gains from boxing, but with the additions of his outside business ventures such as the George Foreman Grill. George would fight for the last time at age 48, in a loss to Shannon Briggs, bringing an end to a career that was spawned by a simple commercial seen by a young George Foreman 31 years prior. He was given a second chance to create a bright future for himself, something he continues to give today’s troubled and unguided youth.

To learn more about George Foreman and the Youth and Community Center, visit: http://www.georgeforeman.com/youthcenter.php

“Everybody wants to be somebody. The thing you have to do is give them confidence they can. You have to give a kid a dream.”

- George Foreman

The Sharks came to San Jose in 1991 which made them that season’s only new expansion team. In 1994, the team took interest in the community and started The Sharks Foundation with the goal to increase their organizational impact on the Santa Clara County. With the help of Sharks players, coaches and staff members, the Foundation works within the community to create a chance to enhance the lives of youth in Santa Clara by hosting donation drives and fundraisers to raise awareness.

The Foundation also manages various educational programs that cater to the community’s interest. Through programs such as Reading is Cool; students in the Santa Clara County are given the opportunity to receive a free effective literacy program encouraging students to excel in reading and become effective positive classmates to their peers. The Sharks Foundation also offers various holiday food drives and adoption programs, while promoting clothing drives and blood and bone marrow registration.

During the 2010-2011 season, The Sharks Foundation donated close to $400,000 to various non-profit youth organizations with money from their annual grant process and additional collection drives and fundraisers. By using the support of their fans to benefit their fans, The Sharks Foundation has created a very positive model for success and equality amongst the people of Santa Clara County. For the San Jose Sharks organization there is hardly anything more important than their success on the ice, resulting in a buyable and believe product for winning. The same model for excellence is also seen within their community as they work day in and day out to create and supply the best for their fans in all walks of life.

To learn more about The Sharks Foundation, visit http://www.thesharksfoundation.com/

The Colts all-time leader in wins, passing touchdowns, pass attempts, completions and passing yards has been just as active in improving the lives of children across the city. In 1999, the Peyback Foundation was established with the goal of promoting and working to the future success of disadvantaged and at-risk youth through assisting leadership and growth programs, which provide opportunity.  Although the Foundation promotes and works based on a broad mission statement, its ultimate goal reaches out to as many children as possible, opening doors of opportunity for more than certain groups and classifications.

Peyton Manning not only serves as the Foundation’s President, but also keeps a close tab on all operations by remaining active in all major decisions and provides financial support for its services. His goal of allowing the Foundation to grow at a defined rate per year has been successful but he continues to strive for larger and more effective strategies to establish positive and effective opportunity for the children in Indiana, Louisiana and Tennessee. Whether it be the purchase of groceries and clothing or hosting events and celebrations at children’s hospitals and care facilities, the Peyback Foundation provides constant care and support.

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Peyton, alongside younger brother Eli, provided assistance for those affected by the destructive storm. The brothers aided in providing relief by delivering 30,000 pounds of water, Gatorade, baby formula, diapers and pillows to the people of New Orleans. In 2007, St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis renamed its children’s hospital to Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at St. Vincent in honor of Manning’s work with sick kids.  Manning immediately made a connection with the hospital upon his arrival in Indianapolis and has continued to work with and provide services.

Peyton Manning has easily become one of the NFL’s most marketable players over the last decade, which makes his work in the community even more special by not only inspiring those who have benefited from his work, but leading his fellow stars to do the same. Manning has received the American Dream Award for his work within the community and that of the Peyback Foundation. He has been a true leader for the Colts and a inspiring hero for the people who cheer for him night after night.

To learn more about the Peyback Foundation, visit http://www.peytonmanning.com/

In his first season as a starter on the Jets, Cotchery finished the year with 82 receptions, 961 receiving yards and scored six touchdowns; an improvement of 57 receptions, 650 receiving yards and six touchdowns from the two previous seasons combined. With Santana Moss departing for Washington, Cotchery and Coles became the go-to receivers for the Jets for the next few seasons. Following his first full season with the Jets, Cotchery was named the recipient of the Kyle Clifton Good Guy Award; an award that honours former Jets linebacker Kyle Clifton, who in their opinion is the best player of all-time to wear number 59.

The following year, he would match his 82 receptions, improve to 1,130 receiving yards, but was held to just two touchdowns for the season. Some may look at that year as a decline in his numbers but playing one game less than the previous season and playing on a team that finished 4-12; Cotchery’s awareness and leadership only improved during the horrid season for the Jets. He couldn’t repeat winning the Kyle Clifton Good Guy Award but instead won the 2007 Marty Lyons Award for his community service throughout the year.

After the horrible season, Cotchery was able to find his scoring touch again. He finished the season with five touchdowns on 71 receptions, finishing the season with 858 receiving yards. During the 2008 season he was voted by selected NFL players for the Ed Block Courage Award for being a role model of inspiration, sportsmanship, and courage. The award is named after former Baltimore Colts trainer Ed Block and is handed out by the Ed Block Courage Award Foundation; an organization that focuses on promoting the prevention of child abuse and to raise awareness for the cause, as well as providing care for abused people.

Aside from the personal awards Jerricho has won over the years, he likes to focus on his own foundation. The Cotchery Foundation is a non-profit organization that was established to benefit underprivileged youth. Their mission is to inspire children to conceive and achieve goals through different programs and services designed to enhance their future. Over the years they have established several programs that were designed to provide proper mentoring and academic support to the underprivileged youth. Through the programs they also try and help show them the with initiative and determination they will be able to live a successful life doing what they want to do.  The main programs are Club 89; Keys to Reading Success; Jerricho’s Junior Leaders; and Skills and Drills Football Camp. With their programs focusing on youth, each one specializes in something different. Catch 89 is a mentoring program that helps students conceptualize life after high school and get their life on track. Keys to Reading Success teamed up with The Cotchery Foundation to allow students to improve their reading skills in a hands-on manner. This program helps children from as early as kindergarten, all the way up to grade 12. Jerricho’s Junior Leaders is an initiative that gives middle and high school students the opportunity to continue life skills training beyond their football camps. They gain values such as academic success, community involvement, and leadership skills. Additional benefits for the participants include youth having increased exposure to caring and supportive adults, involvement with positive peer groups, positive expectations and optimism for the future, and elimination of delinquent behaviours and beliefs. Last but not least, the Skills and Drills Football Camp is an annual one-day camp hosted by Jerricho Cotchery and other NFL players around the league as they take time out of their busy schedules to help teach kids the fundamentals of football and the important things in life that will help make them successful.

People take a look at Cotchery’s numbers and see an average wide receiver. In reality, Cotchery is one of the most underrated wide receivers in the NFL, with the leadership and skill to be a top receiver on any team in the league today. His numbers might not compare to guys like Andre Johnson of the Houston Texans or Reggie Wayne of the Indianapolis Colts, but he was always a top receiver during his stint with Gang Green. Playing on a team who also focuses a lot on their rushing game, Cotchery became a consistent 800+ yards receiver as a starter with the Jets and always showed up on the field. He is entering his eighth season in the NFL and is looking for a fresh start with the highly talented Pittsburgh Steelers. He will be surrounded by plenty of leadership that are only going to help make him better. He isn’t expected to put up 800+ yards with the Steelers since they have established receivers in Mike Wallace and Hines Ward, but Cotchery is going to be a great acquisition for their offense and organization and is going to open up things a little bit more for Ben Roethlisberger throughout the course of the season.

To learn more about The Cotchery Foundation, visit http://www.cotcheryfoundation.com/

Dustin Brown and his wife Nicole help contribute to KaBOOM!; a non-profit organization that helps develop parks that are within walking distance for the children, as well as giving them a safe environment to play in. In his first season helping out, Brown was able to raise more than $35,000 and was able to build a playground in his hometown of Ithaca, New York. He not only raises the funds but he also helps out in the building process and throughout the years he has been able to help re-build the playground at the Bellflower YMCA in Los Angeles and recently helped bring a playground to the city of Carson, California. This past season he donated $50 per hit towards the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles’ Newborn and Infant Critical Care Unit, donating a grand total of $15,000.

This past December, Brown helped out with the Make-A-Wish Foundation as he helped make six-year old Will McLeod’s wish come true as he spent an afternoon with him after practice. Will was suffering from acute lymphatic leukemia and had to go through chemotherapy for three years and still attends to keep the cancer away. Dustin met up with Will at the training center in El Segundo where he got to watch the LA Kings practice and then later joined them for a skate and shoot around. Will was given a behind the scenes tour of the STAPLES Center and then attended the game the following night when the Los Angeles Kings battled the Minnesota Wild. Brown offered to let him ride the Zamboni at the second intermission but Will respectfully declined.

Dustin Brown is no stranger around the city of Los Angeles. He helps out with the charitable functions that the organization puts on throughout the year and is a big contributor to the Kings Community Program; a program that helps bring tickets to underprivileged kids and military members. He is the spokesperson for the Children’s Cancer Research Fund and is a supporter of the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. In 2009, he was named the “Hometown Hero” at the Southern California Sports Choice Awards and was the 2009 “Outstanding Young Californian” by the California Jaycee Foundation and California Junior Chamber for his commitment to challenge and inspire California’s youth.

Through social media, Brown has been able to raise awareness for Make My Day Monday; promoting the commitment of random acts of kindness each Monday. He was also able to help raise money for the Japanese earthquake relief back in March as he promised to donate $1 on behalf of all the new followers he got that week on his Twitter account. By the end of the week he had 9,425 new followers, resulting in a $9,425 donation.

He is the youngest captain in Los Angeles Kings history, as well as their first American-born captain. He’s gotten not only himself more involved in the community, but he’s managed to get the rest of the guys he plays with to help out. He had them help out with the Haiti relief and even got them to come with him after practice to help build playgrounds. He shows both on and off the ice every single day why the Los Angeles Kings were confident in making him the captain of the team at such a young age. With a roster that is so young each year, Brown makes a huge impact on the younger guys in the room as he is able to show them through examples from his own life how easy and rewarding it is to give back to those in need.

Selected 2^nd overall in the 2008 WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky, Fowles is a dominant player on the basketball court. Big Syl was named the 2010 WNBA MVP, she has made the 2009 and 2010 All-Star teams and is one of only three women to dunk during an All-Star event. She was a Gold Medalist with the 2008 American women’s basketball team and was the EuroLeague Women 2010-11 All-Star Game MVP. Her presence on the court instills fear in her opponents, as she is able to control games and run the floor at a compelling rate. However, she’ll be the first to tell you that she is like a teddy bear and the people around her all agree, especially those who she has helped so much in such a short time.

The Sylvia Fowles Family Fund takes aim at creating healthy, happy support for families in need. It is also the primary supporter of Team Fowles, which is the elite girl’s AAU basketball team with the Miami Suns Youth Development Program. The program is dedicated to promoting basketball for girls and youth travel basketball across Southern Florida, as well as life skills development for young women pursuing a degree as a student-athlete at an NCAA Division 1 institution.

Aside from providing assistance for young female basketball players, Sylvia is also involved in the fight against epilepsy. After her young nephew was diagnosed, she joined forces with CURE, Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy. In hopes of raising public awareness and funds, Sylvia became an official spokesperson for CURE and has been involved in multiple Epilepsy awareness events such as meet and greets with fellow Chicago Sky teammates and epilepsy patients. She also helped initiate a special ticket program giving a portion of ticket sales made during a home game to the CURE program. In the summer of 2010, Sylvia received the WNBA Cares Community Assist Award in which she received a $5,000 WNBA donation to CURE members, furthering her involvement and generosity towards the battle against epilepsy.

Growing up in tough neighborhoods and having family affected by a disease such as epilepsy, Sylvia Fowles has been given a connection to the people she has affected and helped. She knows the struggles faced by children who can’t afford organized sports and she knows what kind of joy she brings to the teams she helps. She is a perfect role model for young females and a key figure in the battle with epilepsy. Her personality on and off the court has made being a pro look so easy.

To learn more about Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy, visit http://www.cureepilepsy.org/home.asp

To learn more about Team Fowles, visit www.teamfowles.org

To learn more about what Sylvia Fowles, visit http://www.bigsyl.com/#!

In 1977 he founded the Danny Thompson Memorial Golf Tournament with former Idaho congressman Ralph Harding in honour of Danny Thompson; a teammate of Killebrew’s who suffered from leukemia during his stint in the big league before passing away at the age of 29 in 1976. This event takes place every year in late August in Sun Valley, Idaho and has donated more than $8.6 million to leukemia and cancer research since being founded in 1977. In 1990, Killebrew founded The Harmon Killebrew Foundation; a non-profit organization that is dedicated to enriching the quality of life by promoting both positive and healthful participation in sports – especially baseball, by partnering with other organizations to raise funds for their missions of promoting mental and physical health, education, self-sufficiency and community service.

The Minnesota Twins have honoured Killebrew by retiring his number 3 amongst the rafters along with other great Twins players as well as Jackie Robinson, they have named the street on the south side of the Mall of America – the former site of Metropolitan Stadium, “Killebrew Drive”, have a larger than life size statue of him located outside Target Field and they even named Gate 3 on the southeast (centerfield) side of the stadium in his honour.

Killebrew announced on May 13, 2011, that he was ceasing treatment and entering the hospital to hopefully find a cure for his esophageal cancer. Just four days later he passed away at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona after receiving news from the doctors that his disease was incurable at that point. Michael Cuddyer who first met Killebrew when he was a 21-year old prospect out of college, said that the players want to wear the 1961 Twins home jerseys for the remainder of the home games for the 2011 season in honour of Killebrew.

“I never watched him play. The only way I do know him is as a mentor, as a genuine person,” Cuddyer said in a statement. “He was a father figure to pretty much everybody he met. That says it all.”

He sits 11^th all-time on Major League Baseball’s top home run hitters and is portrayed in the logo that is known worldwide to everyone. Gone but not forgotten, Harmon Killebrew will always be remembered not just in Minnesota but all over North America. Every time someone takes a look at the Major League Baseball logo, they won’t help but think about Harmon Killebrew; the man they called “Killer” because of how far he was able to launch the ball with one swing of the bat.

R.I.P. Harmon Killebrew
“Killer”/“Hammerin’ Harmon”
June 29, 1936 – May 17, 2011

To learn more about The Harmon Killebrew Foundation, visit http://www.harmonkillebrewfoundation.org/mission.cfm

To learn more about the Danny Thompson Memorial Golf Tournament, visit http://www.dannythompsonmemorial.com/