The annual Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards will take place on July 14 in Los Angeles, and four athletes are up for it: John Cena, Tamika Catchings, Henrik Lundqvist, and Anquan Boldin. The Chicago Bulls, Portland Timbers, San Francisco 49ers, and WWE are included for team nominees as well as sports-governing bodies like the MLB, WNBA, WWE, and NFL. Individuals and teams were nominated for, “using the power of sports to transform lives and uplift communities.”
The Fantastic Four
John Cena
The Champ has made more dreams come true than any other celebrity — granting 500 wishes to children for the Make-A-Wish foundation. He’s also an advocate in battling cancer. As for the WWE family has granted more than 6,000 wishes for the Make-A-Wish foundation, while launching an anti-bullying program called STAR.
Tamika Catchings
The WNBA player for the Indianna Fever grew up with a hearing impairment — inspiring her to start the Catch the Stars foundation, which supports fitness and literacy to children in Indianapolis. She also was a part of the U.S. Department of State’s Council to Empower Women and Girls Through Sports.
Henrik Lundqvist
Lundqvist is the goalie for the NY Rangers, advocating for children in New York City, the Dominican Republic, and Sweden through the Garden of Dreams Foundation and Henrik Lundqvist Foundation. He has also participated in the Young Ambassadors Program — allowing youth to complete community service projects.
Anquan Boldin
The San Francisco 49ers’ wide receiver, Boldin, has an organization that funds after-school programs, scholarships, and summer enrichment programs in Baltimore, South Florida, and San Francisco. Boldin is also an Oxfam Ambassador who has supported human rights protection in Africa.
Catch the award show on July 23 on ESPN, 8:30 p.m. ET.
