Granderson, Zimmerman Win Public Service Awards

Written by: Jerry Milani on 23rd November 2009

Curtis Granderson | read this item

As Major League Baseball releases the last few of its major 2009 season awards in the coming days, two players who continued their ascent on the field, Curtis Granderson of the Tigers and Ryan Zimmerman of the Nationals, have gained notice from the prestigious Jefferson Awards for Public Service.

This year, the Jefferson Awards, founded almost 40 years ago by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, U.S. Senator Robert Taft, Jr. and Sam Beard to establish a Nobel Prize for public service, has teamed with All Stars Helping Kids to help recognize the top athletes who have given back to their community.

The result is a “Dream Team” of 10 athletes announced today by Ronnie Lott, Pro Football Hall of Famer and All Stars Helping Kids founder. Granderson and Zimmerman join such outstanding honorees as World Champions Venus Williams (tennis) and Lauryn Williams (Olympic sprinter), NBA All-Stars Dwight Howard and Dirk Nowitzki and NFL star Justin Tuck, who will be all honored at the third annual Sports Business and Philanthropy Luncheon on Tuesday, Dec. 8 in New York.

In addition, two top winners will be honored at the national Jefferson Awards ceremony June 22 in Washington, D.C. Past Jefferson Awards winners include four Supreme Court Justices, seven Secretaries of State; as well as Oprah Winfrey, Alan Greenspan, Peyton Manning, Colin Powell, Lance Armstrong, Barbara Bush and Bill and Melinda Gates.

Ryan Zimmerman

Others named to the Dream Team include Nnamdi Asomugha of the Oakland Raiders, Stuart Holden of the MLS Houston Dynamo, and Chicago Bulls forward Tyrus Thomas.

Teams from across the sports world nominated 53 athletes from 10 sports, with each athlete having a track record of community outreach as well as a sincere passion for service. Fan voting was conducted online or via text message, with over 25,000 votes logged during the process.

Curtis Granderson

Granderson hit .249 with 30 home runs, 71 RBI and 90 runs scored in 2009, while Zimmerman batted .292 with 33 home runs, 105 RBI and 110 runs.

“These champions represent a wide swath of success both on and off the playing field, and we are very excited to be able to honor this group,” Lott said. “The real winners in this process are the millions of people that all these athletes have assisted in community service. It is an honor for us to recognize this group and assist all of them in their very noble endeavors.”

Beard added, “Many times we forget that elite athletes from so many different walks of life are using their stature to make an impact – especially as role models for young Americans. This group is a great cross-sampling of what is being done in so many sports to impact the lives of others. They are all leaders and champions in their own way and we are proud to salute them all.”

Topics: Alan Greenspan, All Stars Helping Kids, awards, Bill And Melinda Gates, Curtis Granderson, Dirk Nowitzki, Houston Dynamo, Jacqueline Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Major League Baseball, Nba All Stars, Oakland Raiders, Olympic Sprinter, Oprah Winfrey, Pro Football Hall, Public Service Awards, Ronnie Lott, Ryan Zimmerman, Secretaries Of State, Senator Robert Taft, Supreme Court Justices