Highlights from the seventh annual Sports Humanitarian Awards will be showcased on Saturday, July 24, during a special, 90-minute program at 2 p.m. ET on ABC. The event was held last week at The Rooftop at Pier 17, located within the Seaport in New York City, and celebrated and honored leagues, teams, individuals and members of the sporting community who are using the power of sport to make a positive impact on society.
The evening was hosted by actor and author Taye Diggs, and also featured a performance by Grammy-nominated artist Cordae, as part of The Undefeated’s Liberated / Music For The Movement Volume 3. Stars in attendance included Billie Jean King, David Robinson, Joe Torre, Billy Crystal, Lindsey Vonn and Matt James, with narrations from Laila Ali, Common, Anthony Mackie and more.
As part of the Sports Humanitarian Awards ESPN donated more than $1 million in charitable contributions on behalf of the award nominees and honorees. To date, more than $12 million has been donated to the community on behalf of the Awards. The Awards and sponsorships benefited the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund at the V Foundation for Cancer Research once again, which supports minority scientists and researchers working to improve outcomes for minorities who are disproportionately affected by cancer.
Winners and honorees were recognized from seven award categories throughout the evening, as well as a brand-new collective, Marvel’s Earth’s Mightiest Athletes. This year’s winners and honorees include:
- Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award Presented by Dove Men+Care: Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, Kansas City Chiefs
- Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year: Atlanta Dream
- Corporate Community Impact Award: Microsoft
- Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award: Adom Appiah, Tory Bailey, Gabriel Banuelos, Jacob Eusebio, Amani Shah, Holly Wilson
- Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award Sponsored by Bristol Myers Squibb: Joe Torre, Major League Baseball’s Special Assistant to the Commissioner; Frank Kipp, Blackfeet Boxing; Tom Walter & Kevin Jordan, Get In the Game
- Sports Philanthropist of the Year Award: Arthur Blank, Co-Founder of Home Depot and owner of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United
- League Humanitarian Leadership Award: National Basketball Association
- Marvel’s Earth’s Mightiest Athletes: Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks Quarterback and Super Bowl Champion; Francis Ngannou, UFC Heavyweight Champion; Julie Ertz, United States Women’s National Team soccer star and two-time World Cup Champion; Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz Shooting Guard and 2018 NBA Slam Dunk Contest Champion
About ESPN Corporate Citizenship
ESPN believes that, at its very best, sports uplift the human spirit. Its corporate citizenship programs use power of sport to positively address society’s needs through strategic community investments, inclusive storytelling, cause marketing programs, collaboration with sports organizations and employee volunteerism, while also utilizing its diverse media assets. For more information go to www.espn.com/citizenship and @ESPNCitizenship on Twitter and Instagram.
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Olivia Wilson at (904) 303-3538; olivia.wilson@espn.com; @livcwilson
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