Oct 2010 // Russell Wood
At a young age, Larry Fitzgerald started the Carol Fitzgerald Memorial Fund, as well as the Larry Fitzgerald First Down Fund, to give back to the community. He isn’t another money grubbing athlete; Larry is a class act, through and through.
Rebel recently had a chance to sit down with Larry and talk to him about his charity work, the pressures of fame, and giving back to the community.
Rebel: Why start a charity? What gave you the impetus to start giving back?
Larry Fitzgerald: My father and mother set a good example for me when I was young, and I saw the importance and difference in you community when you give back and show people that you care. As an athlete, you’re put on a pedestal, put on a platform, and I think you can help a lot more people when you have that platform.
R: When did you start the Larry Fitzgerald First Down Fund?
LF: I started that seven years ago and it was to benefit kids that were underprivileged in our city of Minneapolis, because I know that without the funding that was provided by private funding, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to use a computer in the summer time. They trained us how to use computers, typing, gave us things to do after school that kept us out of the streets until our parents came home from work. I wanted to make sure that those kids had the same opportunities that I did so they don’t make the wrong decisions.
R: Did you decide early on that you wanted to give back? Did this come to you in college, or was it once you became a pro?
LF: We started the Carol Fitzgerald Memorial Fund when my mother passed away, which was in my freshman year of college. We’ve been actively trying to build that every single year. Naturally, that was my first and most important [charity] to me, because of who my mother was to me and the difference she made in my life. I also wanted to do something else on the side that also could benefit other things that I felt were important to me as well.
R: What kind of men have inspired you to give back to the community?
LF: I didn’t have to look far. My father was a great example for me. He showed me how to work. He showed me the importance of dedication and commitment to your family. I didn’t have to look any further than my own father who set a good example for me. I’m very fortunate to have a man of his caliber as my father.
R: Being in the spotlight has got to be difficult. What do you do to cope with the pressures of fame?
LF: I think that if you have success on the field or with anything you do that it’s going to bring attention to you. You have to understand what that brings. You have that platform, and you can either be the guy that shys away from it or you can be active in your community. I just chose to be active and make sure I’m making a good example for the kids growing up behind me.