ATLANTA – The Atlanta Falcons acknowledged offensive lineman Chris Lindstrom for supporting folks residing with mental disabilities. He is the crew’s 2022 Walter Payton Might of the 12 months, making him eligible for the league-wide award that acknowledges excellent neighborhood service.

Lindstrom helped launch a Georgia chapter of Greatest Buddies Worldwide, which creates one-on-one friendships and profession alternatives for folks with mental disabilities. Lindstrom began volunteering for Greatest Buddies earlier than the Falcons drafted him in 2019.

“It is an unbelievable honor,” Lindstrom mentioned. “I am so grateful to be in a corporation just like the Falcons with an proprietor like Mr. Clean that gives such a terrific platform to offer again to the neighborhood, and I sit up for persevering with to do this.”

Lindstrom will obtain $40,000 to offer to the charity of his selection. He’ll put on a Walter Payton Man of the 12 months decal on his helmet for the rest of the NFL season. 

“Issues I worth are dedication, loyalty and perseverance. Once I consider these three phrases, I consider Chris Lindstrom,” Greatest Buddies Worldwide Founder, Chairman & CEO Anthony Kennedy Shriver mentioned. “I am tremendous proud that he is gotten matched up with certainly one of our members with mental and developmental disabilities. He is been at this for 4 years, speaking, participating and relentlessly listening to any person who is basically some of the weak folks in our neighborhood. If it wasn’t for Chris Lindstrom, we would not have Greatest Buddies Georgia. We launched Greatest Buddies Georgia below his management and dedication.”

In a response video, Lindstrom watched as family and friends thank him. Michael Kozicki remarked on the time he is spent together with his finest pal since they linked by Greatest Buddies. Earlier this season, Lindstrom cooked for the household of Maria Ramsaier-Kirk, a breast most cancers survivor. Within the video she instructed Lindstrom she realized she was cancer-free only a few days earlier.

All year long, Lindstrom additionally supported academics with a buying spree, fought meals insecurity with household meals on the Atlanta Ronald McDonald Home and hung out with Kids’s Healthcare of Atlanta workers. 

Nationwide, the award’s sponsor, will present a $25,000 donation to the Man of the 12 months nominee with probably the most distinctive mentions on Twitter by Jan. 8. Followers can tweet #WPMOYChallenge adopted by Lindstrom or @C_Lindstrom63 to vote. Second and third place finishers will obtain $10,000 and $5,000 donations.

The NFL’s Man of the 12 months Award was established in 1970 and named a Walter Payton in 1999. The league-wide winner will get a $250,000 donation to their chosen charity.