Hines Ward Helping Hands Foundation Tackles Children's Literacy

Hines Ward doesn't want to let kids down.

The Steelers wide receiver and recent "Dancing with the Stars" champion started the Hines Ward Helping Hands Foundation with the goal of improving literacy amongst inner-city youth. The foundation has also expanded to South Korea where it helps biracial children confront discrimination.

The foundation's website notes that Ward was born in Seoul, South Korea to a Korean mother and an African American soldier. "Having persevered through many trials as a child in a single parent home, Hines has dedicated his time off the field to the betterment of inner city and underprivileged youth in the Pittsburgh and Atlanta areas," the site says.

Ward sat down with NBC News to talk about his charity work.

From NBC News:

Q: Can you tell us some of the history behind your organization? What made you start working for this cause?

Ward: I decided to start my charity out of my love for kids of all ages and because of my own upbringing. In Pittsburgh, I meet kids of all ages from all walks of life. I see the desire in their eyes to be someone great and I want to do all that I can to help those without the means and/or resources to achieve their dreams.

Read the whole interview here, and WATCH Ward take home the trophy on "Dancing with the Stars" below:

Comments

[paddles]

11:03 AM on 06/10/2011

Thank you Hines-what a great guy.

[kapalabhati]

08:29 PM on 06/09/2011

Love you, Hines!!!!

[trjones87]

11:16 AM on 06/09/2011

The website associated with the link looks like a shrine to himself. I admire his philanthropic work but I would like more detailed figures as to who he's helping, locations of services and demographics. Also, I didn't see any links to how one could volunteer their time the HWHH, just a donation link.

[Callyson]

07:48 PM on 06/08/2011

Kudos to Hines for this classy move.
BTW, when I was a child in Pittsburgh, I remember an organization called Reading is Fundamental: once a year, they would come to our school and every child could get one book free, and four others for a nominal price. I loved those days...
Also, in the optimistic hope that we have football again--GO STEELERS!

[Wide Stance]

01:44 PM on 06/08/2011

I'm glad he's finally learning to read.

[Callyson]

07:53 PM on 06/08/2011

Yeah...because up until now he's been too busy wasting his time on trivial activities like these:
From April 3 through May 30, 2006, Ward returned to his birthplace of Seoul for the first time since his parents moved to the United States when he was one year old. Ward used his celebrity status to arrange "hope-sharing" meetings with multiracial Korean children and to encourage social and political reform. At one hope-sharing meeting, he told a group of children, "If the country can accept me for who I am and accept me for being a Korean, I'm pretty sure that this country can change and accept you for who you are." On his final day in Korea, he donated $1 million USD to create the Hines Ward Helping Hands Foundation, which the AP called "a foundation to help mixed-race children like himself in South Korea, where they have suffered discrimination."
In January 2007, former Steeler and Pro Football Hall of Fame member Franco Harris, owner of R Super Foods, honored Ward for his philanthropic efforts by featuring Ward's picture and story on boxes of Super Buns. Like Ward, Harris also won a Super Bowl MVP award (in Super Bowl IX) and is also biracial, being both African American and Italian American.
In September 2010, President Barack Obama appointed Ward as a member of the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hines_Ward

[kapalabhati]

08:30 PM on 06/09/2011

Thank you.

[kapalabhati]

08:30 PM on 06/09/2011

Yinz are a j@goff.

[liberaldawg]

01:15 PM on 06/08/2011

Having watched this young man play in high school, college and now in the pro's, I've never
seen another player (who is, lets face it not that physically imposing) with his tenacity.
If he tackles a subject like literacy, the way he plays the game, he can make a difference.