Seahawks QB Russell Wilson Surprises Rainier Athletes with Holiday Shopping Spree

Always active helping others in the Seattle community, Wilson granted several young athletes a special evening they'll never forget.

Corbin K. Smith | Dec 4, 2019

Seahawks QB Russell Wilson Surprises Rainier Athletes with Holiday Shopping Spree /

Since being drafted in 2012, connecting with young people in the Seattle community has always been a top priority for Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.

On Tuesday night, Wilson surprised a group of in-need youth athletes from Seattle-based nonprofit Rainier Athletes with a holiday shopping spree at DICK's Sporting Goods in Bellevue.

In a cooperative effort between the DICK's Foundation Sports Matter program and Wilson's Why Not You Foundation, the star quarterback gave each child a $200 gift card to spend on new athletic equipment and apparel of their choice. Additionally, Wilson presented a $25,000 grant to the Rainier Athletes organization on behalf of the DICK's Sporting Goods Foundation, which was launched in 2014 to address the youth sports funding crisis.

Since its inception, the foundation has pledged more than $100 million to provide an opportunity for more children to play sports and has impacted more than 1 million youth athletes in the United States.

Serving as a celebrity shopping assistant, Wilson chatted 1-on-1 with many of the kids, discussing the overall impact sports have had on him and how much he enjoyed receiving new sports gear during the holidays.

Renowned for his weekly Tuesday visits to Seattle Children's Hospital and other notable charity work, Wilson has stepped up his "giving Tuesdays" this holiday season and posted a short video summarizing the night's festivities on Instagram.

Published Dec 4, 2019

CORBIN K. SMITH

Graduating from Manchester College in 2012, Smith began his professional career as a high school Economics teacher in Indianapolis and launched his own NFL website covering the Seahawks as a hobby. After teaching and coaching high school football for five years, he transitioned to a full-time sports reporter in 2017, writing for USA Today's Seahawks Wire while continuing to produce the Legion of 12 podcast. He joined the Arena Group in August 2018 and also currently hosts the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast with Rob Rang and Nick Lee. Away from his coverage of the Seahawks and the NFL, Smith dabbles in standup comedy, is a heavy metal enthusiast and previously performed as lead vocalist for a metal band, and enjoys distance running and weight lifting. A habitual commuter, he resides with his wife Natalia in Colorado and spends extensive time reporting from his second residence in the Pacific Northwest.