Currently without a job in the NFL, free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been keeping busy helping those who are less fortunate.
He recently donated suits to some former prisoners to help them obtain employment. Now, the New York-based organization he helped wants to show its appreciation by holding a “stand-up” to recognize Kap’s generosity.
The event will take place at the NFL headquarters in New York on May 24 at 5:00 p.m.
Kevin Livingston, president of the nonprofit organization, issued a statement.
“He stood up for us. It’s only right that he took our issues in our communities and brought it to a national level and sacrificed salary and being ostracized by the NFL,” Livingston said via Michael Rothstein of ESPN. “It was only right that we stand up for him. I started this, literally, when he came to my office — I was moved. I work with parolees. People usually want to ostracize this particular population. Me working with him on the front lines and him coming to my office, this is not the first time I’ve worked with him. So I thought it was only right that I stand up for him.”
According to the report, this “stand up” will be quite the major event. Several speakers, including New York State Senator James Sanders Jr. and NBA player Etan Thomas, will be on hand.
The fact that it will take place at the NFL headquarters should attract quite crowd. Livingston made it clear that this event is in no way a form of protesting against the NFL.
“We’re not protesting. This is not anti-NFL. This is not going against the police,” said Livingston, who is expecting about 40 supporters at NFL headquarters. “What we’re doing exactly is we’re showing solidarity to the league on behalf of Colin Kaepernick. This is nothing planned by him. This is all me.”
As of this time, Kaepernick has drawn very little interest as a free agent. Because of this, some are under the opinion that Kaepernick is being blackballed by the league.
Most recently, the Seattle Seahawks expressed their potential interest in Kaepernick. Nothing more has come of that, though.
In addition to the “stand up,” other similar gatherings will take place on Wednesday in several other cities throughout the United States, according to the report.
Hopefully the event at the NFL headquarters will be a peaceful one that sticks to the planned agenda by Livingston.