When it was announced last week that Russell Wilson was leaving the Seattle Seahawks and headed to Denver, we shed some tears alongside the rest of Seattle’s fan base.

Russell has been an incredible member of our community and we will miss him. We took a trip down memory lane and want to share some highlights with you:

• At Day of Caring in 2015, Russell Wilson surprised 12,000 volunteers to say thanks and celebrate their projects. He also took that opportunity to launch United Way’s Fuel Your Future Campaign to help fight food insecurity in King County. This program became even more vital during the COVID-19 pandemic, when more of our neighbors were struggling with keeping food on the table.

• Russell Wilson was integral in helping us launch our Emerging Leaders program many years ago. He attended volunteer events, gave away signed jerseys and helped promote the importance of young professionals getting involved with their community. We’re certain that our Emerging Leaders community would not have grown as quickly as it did without Russell’s help.
• When we served our one millionth free summer meal, the kids at the park in North Seattle that day were ecstatic to see their hero Russell Wilson among those serving food. Free summer meals are provided at community spaces to help ensure kids get healthy food during the summer when free school lunches are not provided. Over the years, Russell helped advocate for the importance of healthy school meals and providing free school breakfast.

• In partnership with Safeway, Russell joined United Way of King County to offer exclusive #LetRussCook aprons. The proceeds from apron sales surpassed $100,000 and helped families struggling with food insecurity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We certainly will miss watching Russell Wilson on Sundays, but we’ll miss him as a member of our community even more. Best of luck to you in Denver, Russ.  You will be missed.