Football

Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, wife Ciara to donate 1 million meals to Seattle families

By Kevin Mercer Mar 18, 2020
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, right, and his wife, Ciara, greet fans. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

The Seattle area has been hit especially hard by the coronavirus pandemic, and in an effort help their community, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and his wife, Ciara, announced Tuesday that they will donate 1 million meals to those in need. The couple will be partnering with Food Lifeline, a nonprofit based in Seattle that provides 134,000 meals daily, according to its website.

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The Wilsons announced their pledge on their social media channels with a video encouraging others to keep the faith, and to help fight the virus in any way they’re able:

“We have faith,” Ciara said. “We want to encourage everyone else out there to keep the faith. Also, practice social distancing. And be blessed.”

The video concluded with Wilson and Ciara both saying that they are praying for people in the midst of the outbreak.

A heart to serve others stems from the couple’s faith in Christ. Earlier this year, Ciara said the faith in God that she and Russell share is the reason for their successful marriage.

“It is a blessing that we both share the same vision and we really do believe that you gotta have God at the foundation,” she said on yahoo.com. “We both know that if it wasn’t for Him, we wouldn’t be in the positions that we’re in.”

Wilson — whose Twitter bio says, “I want to Love like Jesus!” — often discusses his faith on social media.

Last December, Wilson led his Bible study group, consisting of 40 professional and college athletes, to donate clothes and toiletries to the Seattle community. He prayed over the gathering, saying, “Jesus, You call us to love. I pray we would love more like You, to speak more like You and sound more like You. And to not judge, Father God, but to just love one another.”

Wilson, 31, finished his eighth NFL season in 2019, all with the Seahawks. This past season was one of his best, as he passed for 4,110 yards and 31 touchdowns while tossing a career-low five interceptions. He led Seattle to an 11-5 record and back to the playoffs for the seventh time in his eight years.

The undersized yet elusive quarterback is also one of the most durable; he has never missed a game in his career since being selected in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft.

Wilson has won the NFL Rookie of the Year award in 2012, been named to the Pro Bowl seven times and, at the conclusion of the 2013 season, quarterbacked the Seahawks to a dominating 43-8 victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII. Before the game, he talked about Jesus at Media Day.

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