The Most Charitable Athletes in the World

Most athletes get to where they are because of their passion for the game. That passion helps them earn vast amounts of money in endorsements and salaries. With such funds, athletes can live in luxury.

Luckily, most athletes understand that other people might not be so financially fortunate. Thus, they contribute to charity or establish their own charitable organizations. Such admirable actions endear them to fans around the world. Keep reading to learn more about the world’s most charitable athletes.

Mo’ne Davis

Of all the world’s most charitable athletes, Mo’ne Davis is one of the youngest. She is an American former Little League Baseball Pitcher. Mo’ne is currently an infielder on the Hampton University softball team. She rose to fame when she appeared in the 2014 Little League World Series for baseball.

Mo’ne was the first girl to win and pitch a shutout in the tournament’s history. She uses her stardom to give other girls a better chance at having a promising future. Davis championed the design of a new line of sneakers. The sales proceeds go to charity.

Richard Sherman

Richard Sherman is an NFL football cornerback. He’s well known for his trash-talking in the field. His arrogance on the field may make fans dislike him. However, this doesn’t translate to his charitable works. The Super Bowl champion understands the plight of others in the world.

He uses his fame and money to help others reach their potential. Sherman launched his own charitable foundation in 2013, known as Blanket Coverage – The Richard Sherman Family Foundation. The foundation aims to help children in low-income areas achieve academic success. It seeks to do that by providing them with the proper school supplies and sufficient clothing.

Heather O’Reilly

Heather O’Reilly is an American professional soccer player. She currently plays for Shelbourne, an Irish football club. She won three Olympic gold medals while playing with the United States women’s national team. While with the same team, they won the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The Olympic gold medalist has a significant impact not only in football but also on charity. She's involved with the Women's Sports Foundation. It's an organization that helps women and girls attain their potential in life and sports. The foundation participates in advocacy, research, and assisting girls in staying active.

Heather is one of the most charitable athletes and a role model to women and girls everywhere. She knows the huge impact she can make through her athleticism and charity.

Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova is a retired Russian tennis player. She was a force on the tennis court in the early 21st century. She’s also the proud winner of five Grand Slam titles. The impressive player is famous for more than her success on the court. Sharapova is quite charitable too.

As one of the world’s most charitable athletes, she uses her wealth and prominence to help others. She supports causes that deal with women, poverty, and AIDS. Some of the charities she supports include:

• Variety – The Children’s Charity
• Soles4Souls
• Hero in Heels
• Golden Hat Foundation
• Small Steps Project

She is also one of the athletes with charitable foundations. She started the Maria Sharapova Foundation. It helps children all over the globe attain their dreams.

Neymar

Neymar da Silva Santos, Jr., known as Neymar, is a Brazilian football player. He's had a fantastic career on the field that's bound to get better. He currently plays for Paris Saint-Germain FC. He also plays for the Brazilian national team.

You wouldn't expect such a young star to be aware of global issues, but he is. He joined the’11 Against Ebola’ campaign to help raise awareness of the disease. Eleven most popular footballers joined the cause, hence the campaign's name.

The 11 stars work with experts in an education campaign against Ebola. Neymar also joined Waves for Water to provide access to clean water to underserved communities.

Serena Williams

Serena Williams is a professional American tennis player. She's a force to reckon with on the tennis court. The athlete has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, making her the most successful tennis player in the open era. Besides being a dominant force in the world of tennis, she's also making her mark in charity.

She teamed up with football star Lionel Messi for the ‘1 in 11’ campaign. The campaign's name represents one in 11 children around the globe who can't go to school. It aims to raise funds for educational programs.

The iconic tennis player has also been a Goodwill Ambassador since 2011. In her role, she led the UNICEF Schools for Africa initiative. Its goal is to provide education to marginalized and vulnerable children.

Serena Williams is among the few athletes with charitable foundations and has the Yetunde Price Resource Center. It offers families affected by violence with critical services. That includes resources to enhance resiliency and healing.

Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps is an American former competitive swimmer. He boasts of winning 28 medals, 23 of which are gold. He is one of the most accomplished athletes in the history of the Olympics.

Phelps has made enormous strides in giving to charity. He is one of the athletes with charitable foundations. He started the Phelps Foundation to promote healthy and active lives, particularly for children. The foundation increases the opportunities that people have to participate in swimming.

He also supports other charities, including:

• Make-A-Wish Foundation
• BID 2 BEAT AIDS
• Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center
• ONE DROP
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America

LeBron James

LeBron James is an American professional player. He plays for the Los Angeles Lakers and is one of the world’s greatest players. The athlete earns large sums of money annually from his salary, endorsements, and businesses. Other than that, he’s also one of the most charitable athletes in the world.

LeBron’s philanthropy journey started in 2004 when he launched the LeBron James Family Foundation. The foundation aims to build stronger families. Thus, it directs its funds and resources toward driving generational change through education.

The famous athlete has the I PROMISE Program that helps students stay in school. It provides students and their families with resources, incentives, and support.

John Cena

John Cena is an American professional actor, wrestler, and author. His fame came about through the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) organization. He's also well-known for his philanthropy, especially with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The foundation is a not-for-profit organization that helps kids with critical illnesses see their wishes come true. It aims at helping children between 2 and 18 years. Kids can attend an event, meet a celebrity, or gift another person.

John Cena has set the record for the most wishes granted through the foundation. He has managed to grant 650 wishes to date. Other than that, the pro-wrestler turned actor also champions the fight against breast cancer. He advocates for the importance of early detection of the illness.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese professional footballer. He currently plays as a forward for Manchester United. He’s also the captain of the Portugal national team. He’s widely known for being the greatest player of all time.

In addition to Cristiano’s unmatched skill, he is also a great philanthropist. You can’t list the world’s most charitable athletes without including Cristiano Ronaldo. The famous player got named the most charitable sports star in the world. His contributions to charity include the following:

• Auctioning his European Golden Boot and donating the money to constructing schools in Gaza
• Giving part of his earnings from winning the Champions League to charities
• Donations to Red Cross
• A massive donation to a cancer center in Madeira
• Being part of the ’11 Against Ebola’ campaign

Learn More About the Most Charitable Athletes in the World

Professional athletes around the world are one of the highest-paid people. Some have a massive net worth from their salaries, businesses, and endorsements. Most athletes understand the importance of giving back and making the world better. Hopefully, you now know the world’s most charitable athletes. Contact Locker Room Direct today for sports memorabilia and gear from your favorite collegiate and professional teams.