On Tuesday, Minnesota Timberwolves small forward Andrew Wiggins announced that he'll be donating $22 — which represents the number 22 jersey he wears — for every point he scores “towards supporting underprivileged children who face barriers in participating in professional sports.”
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Wiggins has never scored fewer than 1,387 points in a season, so his total contribution should be no less than $30,500.
This is a solid move from the Timberwolves youngster, as the disadvantaged youth often prove themselves to be some of the most capable and productive members of society when they reach adulthood. Others still fail to reach their potential as they succumb to the vices of the inner-city or find themselves having to hold menial jobs that don't represent their true abilities just because they'll be paid enough to provide for themselves or their family.
It's a unfortunate but familiar tale all across the globe. Wiggins, who was born in Toronto, has lived in West Virginia, Kansas and Minnesota since moving stateside.
According to the Children's Aid Society of Toronto, 26.3 percent of children live in poverty in the city of Toronto.
According to a federal census, West Viginia's poverty rate (16.6 percent) is the fourth-highest in the country. Kansas (13.3 percent) and Minnesota (8.6) are ranked 16th and 48th, respectively. That said, while there doesn't seem to be a preponderance of impoverished people where Wiggins currently resides, he has certainly lived in areas and seen the effects of impoverishment.
It remains to be seen if Wiggins, who will make $147.7 million over the next five seasons, will contribute even more to the humanitarian cause.
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