It’s the season of giving and when DeForest Buckner isn’t on the field giving opposing offenses grief, he is off the field giving pure aloha. Earlier this week DeFo, the 49ers, non-profit Beyond Differences, and Levi’s partnered up to give twenty 8th grade student-leaders from LeyVa Middle School in East San Jose $100 and 90-minutes to find themselves something to wear for the holidays or something for their families. 49ers Community was kind enough to share some awesome scenes from the event with Niners Nation.
when @DeForestBuckner isn’t giving opposing offenses grief, he is off the field giving pure Aloha. Earlier this week DeFo, @49ersCommunity, @LEVIS, and @BeyondDiff partnered to give twenty 8th grade students from LeyVa Middle School in East San Jose $100 and 90-minutes to shop! pic.twitter.com/3EY6c0hXmX
— Czyking it Czyking it ✌ (@NinerAlex) December 20, 2018
The students were chosen for being a part of the school’s leadership program, which leverages themes and initiatives from nonprofit partner Beyond Differences. They are also the nonprofit that DeForest Buckner is supporting during the My Cause My Cleats initiative, in which his cause is spreading awareness about anti-bullying.
Buckner spoke about why he chose Beyond Difference and the anti-bullying campaign when the My Cause My Cleats announcement was made.
“Back home in Hawaii, we say practice Aloha. Spreading the love, treating one another with the utmost respect. Treat others how you want to be treated pretty much. I’ve known kids who’ve gotten bullied and took it to heart. And a lot of kids, they don’t really see the long-term effects that it has on others. Everybody’s built different, everybody is different. God made us different and we just gotta, as a society, we got to know to accept one another for our differences. Everybody’s special in their own way, and I know when I have kids, I’m definitely going to tell them that.”
One hundred percent of net proceeds from the auction of Buckner’s cleats from the OT win Sunday against Seattle will go to support Beyond Differences, which is the only nonprofit organization dedicated to ending social isolation by empowering middle schools nationwide to create a culture of inclusion for everyone. Their positive prevention initiatives address the challenges around middle school youth becoming more self-aware about their own family’s identity, traditions and culture while learning acceptance, inclusion and respect for their classmates. Social isolation has been identified as a precursor to bullying.
For the link to the 49ers My Cause My Cleats auction on NFLAuction.NFL.com head on over to bit.ly/ninerscleats.