Linebacker LaMarr Woodley has donated $60,000 to cover the participation fees for every Saginaw (Mich.) Public Schools student-athlete, an act that was met with a thunderous ovation when announced to coaches on Tuesday night.
Woodley, a 2009 Pro Bowler, starred at Saginaw High before playing for Michigan. He was a second-round pick of the Steelers in 2007.
Woodley’s donation covers the participation costs of middle school, junior high and high school athletes in Saginaw, each of whom were affected when the district’s athletic department budget was cut.
“For kids to lose out on an opportunity to maybe earn a scholarship or learn about playing team ball … to miss out on that because your family can’t afford $75 was going to be tough,” Woodley told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I wasn’t going to sit back and allow that to happen.”
“People can make the argument that it wasn’t going to hurt participation, but it was,” Szatkowski told the website. “Because of this, kids will have an opportunity to participate, an opportunity to be part of a team. People don’t understand how important that is.
via Pittsburgh Steelers’ LaMarr Woodley’s $60K donation covers schools’ athletic fees – ESPN. ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley writes about all things AFC North in his division blog.