BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Ravens’ veteran cornerback Lardarius Webb has truly been a man of community service during his time with the Ravens. If the Ravens are hosting something in a Baltimore neighborhood, chances are that Webb will be in attendance. He has been at a variety of community events this year and has even hosted a few of his own events.
The latest community outreach program that Webb has initiated is a toy drive. The Lardarius Webb Foundation has teamed up with Applebee’s to collect Christmas toys for local children. Anyone who wants to help out the cause can drop toys off at a variety of Applebee’s locations throughout the Baltimore area.
During the Thanksgiving season, Webb joined forces with the United Way to host the fifth-annual Turkey Drive. They distributed Thanksgiving turkeys and meals to local children and their families at the Webster Kendrick Boys & Girls Club in Baltimore. The goal was to make sure that families in need had a Thanksgiving meal. Fans that donated at least $75 where given an autographed shirt from Webb and the United Way.
Webb does a variety of charity events ranging from bowling classics to football camps. One of Webb’s biggest events is a softball game with his teammates. This year’s game was held at M&T Bank stadium due to a higher demand. The game was previously held at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen. Fans can buy tickets to watch the Ravens play softball. All of the proceeds go to the Lardarius Webb Foundation’s mission “to distribute funds to provide aid to underprivileged children and their families.”
The Ravens recently named Webb as the recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award. The Ed Block Courage Award is meant to honor players “who exemplify commitments to the principles of sportsmanship and courage.” Recipients of the award symbolize professionalism, strength and dedication. Another requirement is to be a role model within the community. By winning this honor, Webb becomes an Ambassador of Courage for victims of abuse, violence and neglect. Webb’s foundation has made a commitment to helping abused children and families in crisis.
Webb has earned the respect of both his coaching staff and his teammates as he has fought through a nagging back injury to start this season. He missed a few games but has managed to fight through the injury and play in nine of the 12 Ravens games so far this season. That kind of perseverance is a great example for the young people that his foundation works to help. He didn’t give up on the season despite the recurring back injury.
That perseverance was on display earlier this year at a Team Challenge event at M&T Bank Stadium. Even though he was coping with a back pain, he played ultimate football with the young people from Liberty Elementary School in Baltimore.
If you drive around the Baltimore area, you will see at least one of two billboards featuring Webb and the United Way. Just as those billboards have a presence in the community, so does Webb through his community work.
For more information about Lardarius Webb’s foundation or to find out how you may contribute, visit: LardariusWwebb21.com