Why Not You Foundation, Russell Wilson & Ciara Celebrate 2022
The Why Not You Foundation along with Russell Wilson and Ciara close 2022 with heartfelt gratitude for our partners and donors from Seattle to Denver and around the world. Together, it’s been a landmark year full of major milestones and exciting opportunities to expand the reach and deepen the impact of the foundation’s work promoting youth health care, expanding access to quality education and fighting hunger. We look forward to all that we can accomplish together in 2023. Happy New Year!
2022 Highlights:
To help solidify the foundation’s commitments to its new second home in Denver, in July 2022 the Why Not You Foundation partnered with Centura Health to contribute $500,000 each year to local and regional non-profit organizations in Denver and throughout Colorado. For its first grant, the two organizations awarded $100,000 to College Track – an organization helping underserved students earn a bachelor’s degree through a 10-year program that provides financial resource training, peer and adult mentoring, social-emotional support, internship onboarding, and more to help first-generation students from low-income communities complete college and thrive in their careers. With local locations in Aurora and Denver, College Track supports 550+ Denver-area students. Learn more here.
The Why Not You Foundation wrapped 2022 by approving a $25,000 gift to Children’s Hospital Colorado. The hospital’s mission to improve the health of children through the provision of high-quality, coordinated programs of patient care, education, research and advocacy and vision to reimagine children’s health is one dear to the foundation and Russell Wilson and Ciara’s hearts. Russell Wilson and Ciara’s visits with patients and families served by Children’s Hospital Colorado were some of the more meaningful moments of the year.
The Why Not You Foundation in partnership with Safeway Albertsons celebrated eight years raising funds for Seattle Children’s pediatric cancer immunotherapy program. In 2022, together, we reached more than $10 million raised over the course of this campaign. Read more from Seattle Children’s on the impact of these funds here.
Russell, Ciara and the Why Not You Foundation are founding partners of United Way’s Ride United Last Mile campaign. Ride United is a national campaign launched in 2021 that is currently active in 38 markets including Seattle’s King County. As of 2022, the campaign has resulted in over 700,000 completed deliveries of over 9 million meals across 38 communities in 17 states. The program serves seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, refugees and anyone lacking transportation without the resources to get to their important medical, employment and other vital destinations.
The Why Not You Foundation, Russell Wilson and Ciara hosted the first Denver-based event with fine arts photographer David Yarrow. The intimate event supported the foundation’s work in expanding equitable access to education, food security initiatives, and children’s health.
In 2022, the Why Not You Foundation, Russell Wilson and Ciara along with the College Success Foundation hosted the Dream Big: Anything is Possible event, an unforgettable evening to celebrate scholars and promote the importance of education combined with mentoring and support services so that young students can achieve their dreams. Funds raised at this event benefit the Why Not You Academy and the College Success Foundation. The Dream Big: Anything is Possible initiative was created by the foundation in 2018 to inspire and drive change for youth in Washington’s diverse communities. The initiative has engaged and supported hundreds of students with programs and scholarships.
In 2022, the Why Not You Foundation awarded $505,500 to the Why Not You Academy, a tuition-free charter school launched by the foundation, Russell Wilson and Ciara. The Why Not You Academy serves systemically underserved students just south of Seattle. The school’s vision is to develop an inclusive community where every student has access to the opportunities they deserve and graduates with the agency, experience and skills they need to live an intentional, purposeful, and fulfilling life. The Why Not You Foundation also approved $20,000 to install a new basketball court on the school campus.
Starting from a young age, Russell & Ciara’s families encouraged them to dream big, emphasizing that everything is possible with hard work and faith. This mentality has driven their philanthropic work and the work of the Why Not You Foundation. It is also the inspiration behind their new picture book released in 2022, “Why Not You?” The title is a powerful extension of the Why Not You Foundation’s larger mission and was written to uplift younger readers by encouraging them to pursue their wildest dreams and believe in themselves. Learn more here.