'They are making our day': Safety Chuck Clark is Ravens' nominee for Walter Payton Man of Year Award for community work
BALTIMORE - A day after walking through a local Target helping children shop for Christmas gifts, Ravens safety Chuck Clark was nominated for the team's Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.
The award acknowledges NFL players who make an impact in the community.
Clark told WJZ on Monday that it is important that he uses his professional football platform to do good things in the community.
"We all have this platform, whether we want it or not," Clark said. "When we come out and where these jerseys and they know us already, just to be able to interact with them, that's a huge part for us, seeing them light up and smile. But actually, they are making our day."
Clark has contributed to charitable causes throughout the year in the Baltimore-area community.
Earlier this year, the Ravens pledged a commitment of $250,000 over five years to support the launch of Girls Flag Football in Maryland.
In March, Clark helped celebrate the official launch of the league by attending Frederick County's Flag Football Opening Day.
According to a press release, he supported the establishment of their new interscholastic sport by taking the time to discuss his love of football with female student-athletes.
Clark has also shown support to local high school football teams. He visited Calvert Hall for the kickoff of the Ravens RISE High School Football Showdown where he gave the players a pre-game speech, helped coach during the game, provided play-by-play analysis in the radio booth and cheered alongside students and fans.
In January 2022, Baltimore City firefighters were called to a two-alarm blaze in a vacant three-story rowhome when it partially collapsed trapping four firefighters inside.
As a way to show gratitude and remember those first responders who died, Clark joined the Ravens in recognizing 38 fire stations in Baltimore with custom jerseys and meals. He also met with the colleagues of the fallen firefighters to pay his respects and show solidarity.
To expand his community outreach efforts, Clark established the 36 & Co. Community Outreach, a fiscally-sponsored project of the Players Philanthropy Fund, which aims to impact and serve those in need and inspire the lives of young people.
Through his fund, Clark annually hosts back-to-school distributions in his hometown of Suffolk, VA for students in grades K – 12.
Additionally, for Christmas 2021, Clark distributed bikes to 36 Baltimore City high school student-athletes participating in the Next One Up after-school program.
Clark also participates often in Ravens' Community Monday activities.
He has shopped with kids during the team's annual Holiday Helpers event, volunteered through the Ravens' Caw to Action initiative, and encouraged children to be active and healthy through the team's PLAY 60 program and more.
Clark often participates in his teammates' charitable programs such as holiday food distributions, 5k fundraisers, shopping with children during the holidays, football camps and more.
"It's very cool to be on an organization that does a lot for the community, try to build the community up," Clark said. "The more that we can do, the better it is for all of us."
As a nominee, Clark will wear a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year helmet decal through the end of the season in recognition of his accomplishments on and off the field.
All 32 team winners will be highlighted as nominees and recognized for their important work during the weekend leading up to Super Bowl LVII. The 2022 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year will be announced during NFL Honors, a primetime awards special to air the Thursday before Super Bowl LVII.
All 32 nominees will receive up to a $40,000 donation in their name to their charity of choice. The winner of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award will receive up to a $250,000 donation to the charity of his choice.
