The San Francisco 49ers will have a sort of representative Super Bowl week in the Bay Area. Wide receiver Anquan Boldin was named a finalist for the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, and will be in San Francisco in two weeks for presentation of the award. The other two finalists are Eli Manning and Benjamin Watson. The winner will receive a $55,000 donation in his name to a charity of his choice, and the two runners-up will receive an $11,000 donation.
Boldin's career has been highlighted on the field, but he has done a ton of great work off the field. Last year's winner, Thomas Davis, provided an endorsement for Boldin:
"Anquan is a great dude. He's very genuine and very passionate about helping others," Davis said in a statement provided by the 49ers. "It's tremendous what he's doing in the community. The lives he's been able to impact, it leaves me in awe.
"I definitely feel that he should win the award. He's very much deserving," Davis added. "Hopefully he'll be the recipient of that award this year just based on all the things he's been able to accomplish."
The 49ers sent along a rundown of his many charitable activities:
Boldin is responsible for establishing the Anquan Boldin (Q81) Foundation, which for 12 years has been dedicated to expanding the educational and life opportunities of underprivileged children. Through grassroots efforts by Boldin, the foundation has showcased charitable activities in Phoenix, Baltimore, South Florida and the San Francisco Bay Area, developing a niche for awarding scholastic and community achievement in youth, as well as distributing four-year college scholarships to deserving high school seniors. In 2014, the three-time Pro Bowl selection and his wife, Dionne, donated one million dollars to the Q81 Foundation for continued distribution of college scholarships. That same year, the NFLPA awarded Boldin and his foundation $100,000 for winning the prestigious Byron "Whizzer" White Award. Boldin's foundation was also awarded $25,000, when he was named a 2015 Sports Humanitarian of the Year Award finalist, the only NFL player to be acknowledged.
Furthermore, the 13-year veteran recruits fellow NFL players and celebrities to participate in the annual Q-Festival, a weekend of free entertainment provided to residents and participating fans in his Florida hometown of Palm Beach County, raising more than $100,000 annually. Other seasonal services provided through the foundation include Thanksgiving giveaways, holiday shopping sprees and back-to-school donations.
Boldin's philanthropic endeavors have also had a global impact. Since 2010, he has worked with Oxfam America, taking two overseas trips to Ethiopia and Senegal and later using his testimony at the White House to lobby Senegalese rights.