This Fall season, we honor the local luminaries leading the charge in our community. From arts and education advocates to innovators finding solutions to current challenges, these formidable forces drive change, pushing Scottsdale forward for the greater good. Here, we give Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald the spotlight.
While famed wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (larryfitzgerald.com) has made a star-studded impact on the Arizona Cardinals for 17 seasons now, it’s the work he’s doing off the field that’s equally inspiring. Toasting its 15th anniversary, The Larry Fitzgerald First Down Fund aids youth in their academic endeavors, including reading proficiency and access to top technology, and rallies behind breast cancer survivors and their fight against the disease. The fund has provided more than $600,000 in grants to various organizations and annually gives back to the Plano Development Center, a facility founded by the football star’s late grandfather Dr. Robert Johnson, which provides vision care to children in need. He’s a past recipient of The Foundation for Blind Children’s Visionary Award; hosts the annual Fitz Supper Club fundraising dinner; and this year, became a minority owner of the Phoenix Suns, further proving his love for the state he proudly plays for. Touchdown, indeed.