<<Print>>Cristiano Ronaldo is shattering expectations these days, doing things he is not necessarily associated with. Known as probably the most self centred athlete of our time, Ronaldo recently dressed as a homeless man to entertain the people of Madrid with his silky skills.
And he’s now the most charitable athlete? Something must be wrong with the world. DoSomething.org has announced its inaugural Athletes Gone Good list, their list of athletes engaging in charitable acts.
Aside the Real Madrid superstar, WWE legend John Cena placed 2nd, with Serena Williams 3rd. Other notable names on the list include Neymar Jnr, Lebron James, Maria Sharapova, and Ronda Rousey.
Cristiano Ronaldo topped the list for going above and beyond on the field and in his charity work. The Portuguese soccer star raised money for various causes including donating more than $83,000 to a 10-year-old fan in need of brain surgery and giving more than $165,000 to fund a cancer center in Portugal that treated his mother. Ronaldo has also used his fame as a global spokesperson for a variety of causes including childhood hunger, obesity and biodiversity.
WWE Superstar John Cena took home second place on the list for granting nearly 500 wishes with Make-A-Wish. Cena is the most requested celebrity Wish granter and holds the record for the most Wishes granted through the organization. He has also supported other organizations including Susan G. Komen for the Cure to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer. Through Cena’s leadership and dedication, WWE has raised more than $1.5 million since partnering with Susan G. Komen in 2012.
Serena Williams not only won her sixth Wimbledon championship this summer, but also landed the third spot on the Athletes Gone Good list. In addition to her work with the Serena Williams Foundation and as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Serena supported the 1 in 11 campaign to support access to education this year.
South Korean figure skater Yuna Kim took home the fourth spot for her work as a UNICEF Goodwill ambassador and Brazilian soccer player Neymar Jr. came in fifth place for his participation in FIFA’s 11 Against Ebola campaign.
The winners of Athletes Gone Good are selected as a result of a three-part methodology, Votes and nominations from the public, Athlete’s influence on social media and Advice from the Athletes Gone Good Advisory Committee.
The 2015 “Top 20 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
Shahid Afridi