Seahawks QB Russell Wilson launches ‘Pass the Peace’ on Derek Jeter’s new Players’ Tribune
Oct 2, 2014, 9:11 AM | Updated: 11:42 am
(AP Photo/file)
Derek Jeter is calling out the big names, starting with Super Bowl-winning Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, to provide content for his new media platform “The Players’ Tribune.”
Russell Wilson took good advantage of the new website, said to offer the “unfiltered voices of professional athletes,” by penning a column on domestic violence and launching a new initiative called “Pass the Peace.”
In his column, titled “Let’s Talk About It,” Wilson begins by acknowledging violence in his own past, describing himself as a bully.
“Many of you readers probably think I have been Mr. Goody Two-Shoes my whole life, but honestly, I was a bully growing up. In elementary and middle school, I threw kids against the wall. I rubbed their heads in the dirt at recess. I bit them. I even knocked teeth out.”
The quarterback said while domestic violence has recently been an issue in the NFL, it’s happening everywhere.
“It’s not confined to America. All over the world, right at this moment, men, women and children are taking refuge in anonymous shelters. Many more are suffering silently, without protection. Every day, up to 10,000 Americans are turned away from shelters due to lack of resources.”
Asking what we can do to help, Wilson announced the launch of the first initiative from his “Why Not You Foundation,” which he said will be raising funds and awareness for a number of worthy causes.
“For my first initiative, I want us to Pass the Peace to support victims of domestic violence. The idea behind Pass the Peace is simple: It’s a promise. I’m sharing my love for you. I want to take care of you. I am here for you.”
Wilson posted the first Pass the Peace video to his Instagram, passing the peace to Jeter and Justin Timberlake. As people Pass the Peace to a friend, Wilson asks they make a $2 donation or more to the National Domestic Violence hotline, following the model of the Ice Bucket Challenge.