Cal Sports Report

Former Cal Star Camryn Bynum to Philippines to Aid in Post-Typhoon Relief

The Vikings' safety will spend three weeks in the hometown of his late great-grandmother.

Jeff Faraudo

Fresh off participating this week in the Minnesota Viklings’ mini-camp, former Cal star Camryn Bynum is turning his focus to others for the next three weeks.

The 23-year-old safety, about to enter his second NFL season, will travel with family members Friday to the Philippines to aid in the recovery effort two months after typhoon Megi battered the island of Leyte.

The Philippines are struck by an average of 20 tropical storms each year. Typhoon Megi, which landed on April 10, was the season’s first. The early death toll was reported as 214, while flooding and mud slides wiped out homes, leaving more than 300,000 people displaced, according to Reliefweb.int. More than 11,000 homes were destroyed or damaged and countless remain without shelter or electricity.

Bynum, who is partnering with New Life Community Care Foundation, talks in the video above about their plans to raise money in order to provide food, water and “basically everything that the typhoon took from them,” he said. “There’s been a lot of destruction. We’re just going to help them any way we can.”

Cam Bynum makes a tackle vs. the Packers
Camryn Bynum upends Packers receiver / Photo by William Glasheen, USA Today

Bynum said he was drawn to this cause specifically because his mother is half-Filipino. She will join him on the trip, along with his sister, aunt, two cousins and two of his mom’s brothers.

Bynum and his group will focus on the Baybay City, a community of more than 100,000 that happens to be the hometown of his late great-grandmother.

Bynum has never visited the Philippines, but will get to meet his mom’s great aunts and uncles, who reside there. “That’s going to be super,” he said.

Compared to the joy he anticipates meeting relatives for the first time, Bynum expects seeing what has happened on the islands to be a sobering experience.

He has seen video and photos of the destruction, but this will be different. “It’s going to be eye opening,” he said. “Pictures probably won’t do it any justice so I know it’s going to be a humbling experience once I get out there and see it for myself.”

Besides handing out food and water and even cooking for the 600 families in BayBay that still are living in shelters or the homes of others, Bynum said part of their mission is to provide hope and moral support.

They will be doing “psychological first aid,” he explained. “Talking with people, praying with people, empathizing with everybody because as much as getting them back resources, mentally it’s tough. Just let people be heard.”

For anyone wishing to help, Bynum points to a GoFundMe account that has been set up to aid the people in Leyte. Bynum said he is donating $10,000 to the effort.

A four-year starter for Cal through the 2020 football season, Bynum played 14 games and started three times last fall for the Vikings. He had 28 tackles and an interception as a rookie, but Minnesota begins this season under new coach Kevin O'Connell. 

In the video below, Bynum talks about his 2021 rookie season with the Minnesota Vikings and his experience this week at the team's mini-camp:

Cover photo of post-typhoon devastation on the Philippines island of Leyte from GoFundMe.com

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo

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Jeff Faraudo
JEFF FARAUDO

Jeff Faraudo was a sports writer for Bay Area daily newspapers since he was 17 years old, and was the Oakland Tribune's Cal beat writer for 24 years. He covered eight Final Fours, four NBA Finals and four Summer Olympics. 

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