[SLIDESHOW] George Wilson covers a lot of ground as a safety for the Buffalo Bills, but he is even more active off the field through his youth-focused charity foundation. Wilson will host his 4th Annual Sports Fest Football Camp this weekend in his hometown of Paducah, KY, which is just one of the numerous events and programs he sponsors year round.
Wilson got involved doing charity work back in college. After a few years as an NFL player, he decided to start his own foundation. He formed the S.A.F.E.T.Y. Foundation two years ago, playing off the name of his position and focusing on a mission to Save Adolescents From the Everyday Trials of Youth.
“I wanted to do more because I’ve really been blessed to be able to live my dream,” Wilson said. “Over the years, I’ve been in a lot of community centers to share my testimony. I ask questions. I try to find out what the kids are struggling with.”
[portfolio_slideshow size=large showtitles=false showcaps=false showdesc=false pagerstyle=bullets exclude="4350"]
In only their second year of existence, his organization runs multiple programs dealing with a variety of different youth-oriented problems. The Annual Sports Fest this weekend at Paducah Tilghman High School focuses on demonstrating fun ways to incorporate physical activities in everyday life, to help combat childhood obesity.
“With computers and video game systems and social networks, the first thing I got involved with is trying to make kids more physically active to combat childhood obesity” Wilson explains. He has been involved in the NFL Play 60 program through the Buffalo Bills and is working to expand on that message through his Sports Fest, which includes a football camp and cheerleading clinic.
In addition to Wilson talking with the campers, he has partnered with a local hospital to bring a doctor in as a guest speaker, and is working with SUDIA, the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association, to teach kids about good nutritional choices, in addition to increasing their activity level.
The Sports Fest is his longest running event, but only scratches the surfaces of the work that Wilson is involved with. Last month, he ran a Leadership Retreat in which his foundation took 30 middle school students from Paducah, KY to Nashville, TN for the weekend event.
The theme for the Leadership Retreat was Face it, Release it, and Rise Above It, and included a variety of character building and achievement-focused activities. The events ranged from public speaking to outdoor activities designed to teach them how to overcome fear and obstacles, including a zip line and an alpine climb.
“Our kids are dealing with a lot of different issues,” Wilson said. “We try to let them know that they’re in control of their lives. They have the ability to change their lives through education, through working hard, and through having a positive attitude. They need all the help they can get.”
Next year, he is hoping to expand the retreat to students beyond Paducah, and to include more children in the program.
Last year, Wilson went with Buffalo Bills teammate Lydell Sargeant to visit the Children’s Hospital in Buffalo. He was so touched that they made the visits a weekly event, doing art projects and painting with the kids. They even organized a Cinco de Mayo party.
“You see these young kids dealing with illness, but you see the strength in these kids – the strength to smile, to laugh, and to have the joy of living life. It’s something that just warms your heart every time you’re able to walk in a room and put a smile on a child’s face,” said Wilson.
In the SAFETY Foundation’s brief two-year existence, it has reached out to hundreds of kids and families, and has organized an unbelievable list of programs.
Last year, Wilson ran a mentorship program called That’s Life, targeted at high school students and coordinated with the Northwest Buffalo Community Center. The program teaches everything from conflict resolution, to health and wellness, to financial literacy, to ACT / SAT test preparation.
Wilson started a new program in February called Fun Day, bringing Dennis George (aka the Quizmaster) from Buffalo to his hometown. They organized a game show that reached over 2000 kids in two days, with questions based on character education, health and wellness, and anti-bullying.
And the activities don’t stop for the NFL season. Each year, he does a program at Thanksgiving to provide dinner to 100 families in need in the Buffalo area, and he does a program at Christmas back in his hometown adopting 25 kids with a Christmas wish list, to ease the burden on the parents.
His service and devotion haven’t gone unnoticed. In 2008, Wilson was the recipient of the prestigious President’s Volunteer Service Award, which is the highest service honor one can receive from the White House. In addition, in 2009 he had the distinct honor of receiving the Buffalo Bills’ Walter Payton Man of the Year award for his commitment to educating today’s youth.
