Professional athletes spend almost all of their playing years being admired and adored by the fans that follow the teams they play for.
While these guys may make millions of dollars playing the sport that they love, many of them will tell you that it’s the support of the fans that really brings them joy.
Those fans are just everyday people looking to be lifted out of the struggles of everyday life, if only for an hour or two each week.
The players who get it are the ones that do all they can to repay the fans that give them so very much.
One of the good guys is Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA.
He has been at the top of his game all year, and was able to walk away with the MVP at the All-Star Game.
As a reward for his outstanding play in the big game, Westbrook was awarded a 2016 Kia Sorento SUV, as the Korean automaker is one of the major sponsors of the league.
Westbrook did not need another vehicle, but he made it his goal to find someone who did.
Russell asked Sunbeam Family Services, a mainstay in the Oklahoma City community to help him find a worthy recipient of the SUV.
They finally narrowed down the search to 19-year old Kerstin Gonzales, a single mother of two who has been seeking assistance from Sunbeam as she works towards her high school diploma whilst also taking care of her two young boys.
The people at Sunbeam all agreed that Kerstin was a worthy choice, since she always seemed to face her struggles with no complaints and a permanent smile on her face.
That smile grew a little wider on a recent visit to the Sunbeam offices. Kerstin says she felt a presence behind her, and was stunned when she turned around and saw Russell Westbrook standing over her shoulder.
That surprise turned to shock when he reached into his pocket and handed over the keys to the brand-new Kia Sorento SUV he has won at the All-Star game.
This story is what giving back is all about, and it’s heartwarming to know that a start who shines as brightly as Russell Westbrook can look beyond his accomplishments to see where the real MVP’s are. (source: youtube)
