Award recognizes America’s outstanding volunteers for service to community and country

Washington, DC – USA Freedom Corps, President Bush's initiative to promote volunteer service among Americans, today announced that National Football League (NFL) players will be honored with the President's Volunteer Service Award for their remarkable volunteer service, particularly by promoting the importance of fitness and health among youth through the NFL’s PLAY 60 campaign. Members of the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation and the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, as well as senior White House staff, will present awards to players from the 12 home teams on Sunday, November 30, and the remaining awards will be presented to players from the remainder of the 32 teams throughout the season.

“These players are not only leaders on the football field, they are also leaders within the communities they serve,” said USA Freedom Corps Acting Director Alison Young. “Through the President’s Volunteer Service Award, we honor and thank these men for their service to our nation’s young people and for representing the best of the American volunteer spirit.”

Following the attacks of 9/11, President George W. Bush issued a national Call to Service and launched USA Freedom Corps to connect Americans with more opportunities to serve their country and to foster a culture of service, citizenship and responsibility. He created the President’s Volunteer Service Award to recognize the countless acts of service and sacrifice shown by Americans of all ages.

Below is a list of NFL players who will receive the President’s Volunteer Service Award on November 30, and the representative who will present the award on behalf of the President. Members of the media interested in interviewing members of the President’s Councils should contact Rebecca Neale at 202-494-6906 or rneale@who.eop.gov to make arrangements.

Home Team	PVSA Recipient	President's Council and White House Staff Presenters
Buffalo Bills	George Wilson	Alison Young, Acting Director, USA Freedom Corps
Cincinnati Bengals	Brad St. Louis	Hope Taft, President's Council on Service and Civic Participation
Cleveland Browns	Kamerion Wimbley	Tony Dungy, President's Council on Service and Civic Participation
Green Bay Packers	Donald Driver	Chairman John Burke, President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
Minnesota Vikings	Adrian Peterson	Jerry Noyce; Ed Laskowski, President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
New England Patriots	Matt Light	Tony Fratto, Deputy Press Secretary, The White House; The Honorable Steve Preston, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
New York Jets	D'Brickashaw Ferguson	Charles Moore, President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports; Stephen Baldwin, President's Council on Service and Civic Participation
Oakland Raiders	Nnamdi Asomugha	William Burck, Deputy Counselor to the President, The White House
San Diego Chargers	Steve Gregory	Paul Carrozza, President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports; Kelly Perdew, President's Council on Service and Civic Participation
St. Louis Rams	Chris Draft	Amy Farrell, Special Assistant to the Pres for Economic Policy, The White House
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jovan Haye	Dr. Dot Richardson, President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports; Wendy Spencer, President's Council on Service and Civic Participation
Washington Redskins	Santana Moss	Kirk Bauer, President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports; Mary Jo Myers, President's Council on Service and Civic Participation

In his January 2002 State of the Union Address, President Bush called on all Americans to make a difference in their communities and across the globe through volunteer service. He created USA Freedom Corps, an Office of the White House, to help Americans answer his Call to Service. Visit www.volunteer.gov or call 1-877-USA-CORPS to find an existing volunteer service opportunity and to find more information about volunteer service programs.

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