Let’s be real. Not all celebrities and multimillionaire athletes are terrible people.
While the majority of them are undeniably self-righteous spoiled brats; not all of them are bad apples. Some of them do extraordinary things for the community.
And a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back is proving to be a phenomenal philanthropist because he’s built 173 homes for desperate families thus far.
When you think of generous celebrities the first person that should come to mind is actor Gary Sinise. His “Gary Sinise Foundation” has done some wonderful things for Gold Star families – families of fallen soldiers – like for instance when he flew 1,700 Gold Star families to Disney World. The trip was called “Snowball Express,” in which they loaded up 15 airplanes and treated them all to an all-expense paid five-day vacation.
Just recently, the Gary Sinise Foundation built smart homes for two police officers who were shot in the line of duty.
On the website it read, “Officers Crosby and O’Connor can look forward to a more comfortable recovery and rehabilitation process in 100% mortgage-free homes that uniquely suit their mobility and daily life needs all while fostering greater independence. Through the support and generosity of the American people, the Gary Sinise Foundation is honored to provide police officers Mathew Crosby and Ryan O’Connor and their family a specially adapted smart home to turn a new page in their recovery efforts and begin a new chapter in their lives.”
Not many celebrities are this generous. It’s rare.
But former Tampa Bay running back Warrick Dunn is definitely one of the rare ones like Gary Sinise.
So far, the now-retired future hall of famer has built 173 homes for dire families through his foundation, Warrick Dunn Charities, which also frequently partners with Habitat for Humanity.
On Wednesday, Dunn surprised a hardworking nursing assistant and her son with the home of their dreams.
Monique Welch of the Tampa Bay Times wrote, “LaToya Reedy always dreamed of being a homeowner but it seemed unattainable. As a single mother to her 18-year-old son, AnTrez Reedy worked hard as a certified nursing assistant to provide a stable lifestyle for him, but the unpredictability of renting kept her living paycheck to paycheck.”
LaToya noted about her situation, “I got tired of paying the high rent and with renting it goes up every month.”
For several years the mother and son shared one room and rotated sleeping on the bed in a crowded living space.
That’s why Dunn surprised the family with a fully furnished two-bedroom two-bathroom home.
Welch wrote, “Habitat for Humanity bought an empty lot at 918 43rd St. S near Childs Park and built the home, which spans nearly 2,000 square feet, while Aaron’s donated $10,000 toward furniture, appliances, and interior design, and Cigna donated $10,000 towards down payment assistance and groceries.”
Of course, the Reedy’s were overjoyed and grateful.
But this isn’t a free gift because the program works as a sort of pay-it-forward system. The Reedy’s will be required to commit to a 350-hour program to build more homes for the less fortunate, which they both seem more than happy to comply with.
Dunn has been building homes for underprivileged families for over a decade and it doesn’t look like he’ll stop anytime soon. We need more celebrities like Warrick Dunn.