For the fifth consecutive season, Adam Wainwright and his Big League Impact charity settled into Busch Stadium to conduct their annual fantasy football draft. Besides the “excuse” of being able to justify his fantasy football obsession, Wainwright and those participating have been able to raise nearly $2 million to help a variety of local and global charities.
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“I think everybody in here realizes we’re more about helping people than fantasy football,” smiled Wainwright, who’s in five different leagues. “This means a lot to me. This is the most special one to me. Bragging rights involved are probably bigger with the clubhouse, but the good, warm, fuzzy feeling is biggest here in this draft here with these great people who gave their time and money to be with us.”
Thanks to the efforts of Big League Impact, more than 11,000 people now have clean water to use in Haiti and Honduras. Also, over 1000 vision surgeries have been performed, 50,000 children have been de-wormed in Africa, and over 10,000 mosquito nets have been distributed to help stop the spread of malaria.
Nearly half the monies raised have been distributed to charities around the metro area–including the 8100 backpacks which will be sent home with children from school through Operation Food Search.
“I like to go and visit the places we’re directly helping,” said Wainwright. “That way I can take pictures, I can touch it, see it, see if it’s working–see who’s affected by it. Drink the water, just to prove to myself and everybody else that it’s perfectly clean.”
His trip this off-season took him to Balan, Haiti where Big League Impact was about to begin a water purification project. As Wainwright shares below, the visit left a lasting impression with just how important that project will be…
As for advice on the fantasy football league, which is a PRP (Point Per Reception) League?
“Early on I took receivers and running backs that catch the ball,” shared Wainwright. “But Drew Brees fell to me in the fourth round. I didn’t think I was going to do it, but I pulled the trigger because I really like when I lay my head down on the pillow at night and I look at my fantasy roster right before I close my eyes and I see that big dog quarterback at the top of the list, it makes me sleep better.”
More information is available at the Big League Impact website. Founded by Adam and his brother Trey Wainwright in 2013, Big League Impact is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to save lives, restore dignity and instill hope in our local communities and around the globe.
