Cristiano Ronaldo has won the inaugural “Athletes Gone Good” award by DoSomething.org for his charitable work while Neymar Jr. is the only other footballer to make it to the top 20 list.
DoSomething.org honours the most charitable celebrities of the year in the “Celebs Gone Good” list and has introduced a similar list for athletes known as “Athletes Gone Good”.
Ronaldo and Neymar Jr. are the only footballers to make the list
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Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has always been praised for his philanthropic work. The 30 year-old donated in excess of $165,000 to fund a cancer center in Portugal while making another donation in the region of $83,000 for the brain surgery of a 10-year-old. Ronaldo has also used his image and fame to raise awareness for a number of causes including child hunger, obesity, biodiversity, HIV and drug addiction. The superstar also participated in FIFA’s “11 against Ebola” campaign to raise awareness for the disease.
FC Barcelona star Neymar Jr. is the only other footballer to feature on the list, featuring on the 5th position. Neymar was included for his participation in the “11 against Ebola” campaign, partnering for clean water in Brazil and for founding the Neymar Jr. Institute Project, the latter being an educational and sports complex located in the city of Praia Grande.
The list features athletes from many disciplines including Wrestling, Cricket, Tennis, Basketball, Skating and Badminton.
The ranking of the Athletes Gone Good list is done through a three-part methodology which involves.
- Votes and nominations from the public
- Athlete’s influence on social media
- Advice from Athletes Gone Good Advisory Committee
Here’s the complete list of the 20 athletes who made it to the “Athletes Gone Good” list:
Cristiano Ronaldo, John Cena, Serena Williams, Yuna Kim, Neymar Jr., LeBron James, Heather O’Reilly, Maria Sharapova, Mo’ne Davis, Richard Sherman, Meryl Davis & Charlie White, Dan Carter, Roman Reigns, Ronda Rousey, Lindsey Vonn, Tom Daley, Bethany Hamilton, Saina Nehwal, Paul Rabil and Shahid Afridi.