This week’s @NFLPA #CommunityMVP is Tramon Williams, whose Second Annual Powder Puff Game raised funds for breast cancer research.
Editor’s Note: The NFLPA Community MVP recognizes players who are making a positive impact in their local communities. Each week, the NFLPA will celebrate one player who recently demonstrated his commitment to giving back to his community, and will make a donation to the player’s foundation in support. This week’s #CommunityMVP is Green Bay Packers cornerback Tramon Williams, whose Second Annual Powder Puff Game raised funds for breast cancer research. Williams holds many charitable endeavors to benefit the American Cancer Society’s breast cancer research.
During the month of October, the color pink populates the landscape of the National Football League. Players, coaches, and referees don pink apparel, all in support of the effort to raise breast cancer awareness and focus on the importance of screenings.
For some players, breast cancer has a very special meaning. Tramon Williams, the starting cornerback for the Green Bay Packers, is one of those players. Williams and his family have been directly impacted by the disease.
“My wife lost her aunt in 2001 as a result of breast cancer,” Williams told NFLPlayers.com. “Currently her mother, maternal grandmother, and another maternal aunt have been affected by breast cancer.”
Williams himself lost an aunt to the disease. He knows all too well the toll it can take on a family.
Together, Tramon and his wife, Shantrell, found a way to make a difference. Last Tuesday, Tramon hosted his Second Annual Powder Puff Game at Joannes Stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The event brought together Packer’s players, along with their wives and girlfriends, for an evening of flag football fun. The wives and girlfriends split up into pink and white teams. Tramon coached the pink team, and teammate Davon House led the white team as spectators cheered for both sides.
“We thought it would be fun to have the spouses and significant others of the players switch places for a day and come together for a great cause,” Williams said. “Cancer is often spoken about in a somber manner. The powder puff game allows us to bring awareness in a fun, uplifting platform, which allows us to reach and appeal to a larger audience.”
The powder puff event involves the local Green Bay community as well. Despite a cold, windy Wisconsin evening, roughly 200 people showed up to support the event. Fans were charged seven dollars for tickets to watch the game and mingle with the players, with total donations surpassing $2,000.
“The support locally in Green Bay and from around the country is surreal,” Tramon said. “The support from the community and my fellow Packers means the world to us. Their support is not just for us or for the powder puff game, it’s for all of the survivors nationwide, their families, and for a future cancer-free.”
In addition, 15 breast cancer survivors were present as guests, and each received a personal gift bag from the Williams family. The bag included Green Bay Packers pink socks, a Green Bay Packers pink autographed helmet, a photo of Tramon, and a Green Bay Packers pink window cling. Survivors also had the opportunity to take an on-field picture with Tramon.
When asked about his favorite part of the evening, Tramon mentioned his meeting with the survivors first and foremost.
“Their presence speaks to the true essence of hope, strength, and survival,” he said. “This event is all about them. It is dedicated to celebrating their continuous triumph and raising awareness so that cancer will be a thing of the past for our daughter and the next generations to come.”
At the end of the night, Tramon’s team came out victorious with a final score of 19-18. The game was fun for all involved, and served as an opportunity for the team and community to come together and rally around a cause that touches so many lives.
All proceeds raised by the powder puff game will go to the American Cancer Society, who helped put on the event in conjunction with the Williams’ and 38 Reasons Foundation.
“We are extremely honored and thrilled to work with Tramon and Shantrell,” American Cancer Society representative Amy Jo Steinbruecker toldNFLPlayers.com. “Their passion to help raise awareness and find a cure for breast cancer has been unmeasurable!”
Tramon’s work with the American Cancer Society to support breast cancer awareness is not limited to the powder puff event. The Tramon Williams 38 Reasons Foundation will serve as the flagship sponsor for the Green Bay Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk outside Lambeau Field, pledging $10,000 to the cause. The walk is hosted by the American Cancer Society.
“38 Reasons Foundation has several things planned around physical activity, cancer awareness, and character building not just in Green Bay but also in our hometowns in Louisiana,” Tramon said. “We’re excited about the things to come.”
Tramon also donates generously to the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk fundraisers. This year, he is contributing a 2013 locker room signed football and a jersey signed by he and his wife. His final donation to the fundraiser, and perhaps the most popular, is an intimate dinner for two with Tramon and Shantrell at Curley’s restaurant at Lambeau Field.
Clad in his pink cleats, towel, and gloves, Tramon plays for more than himself or his team. Before the season, he vowed to donate $1,000 to the American Cancer Society for every interception he records, and $500 for every pass deflection. So far, Tramon has one interception and six passes defended. The charitable effort is just one more way he is making a difference.
For additional information about Tramon Williams and his foundation’s upcoming events, please visit http://www.
