Hawks star Trae Young pays off $1 million worth medical debt for Atlanta families as a New Year's gift
ATLANTA, GEORGIA: National Basketball Association's Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young has reportedly wiped out the medical debt of hundreds of Atlanta's residents.
The 21-year-old basketball star reportedly donated $10,000 to a medical debt erasure agency which relieved over $1 million in debt for those city residents who were riddled with medical debt for years.
Young, in a statement, said: "The city of Atlanta has welcomed me with open arms. Giving back to this community is extremely important to me. I hope these families can find a bit of relief knowing that their bills have been taken care of as we enter the New Year."
Reports state that the 21-year-old donated the money through his Trae Young Foundation to RIP Medical Debt, which is an organization that buys and forgives medical debt in the country.
The organization, a nonprofit, was started by two former debt collectors in 2014 and the duo use donated funds to purchase debt portfolios for those in need, according to Marketwatch.com.
For about 570 people, an average amount of dissolved debt is $1,858.
Young also took to Twitter to appreciate his team in helping him make this happen. He tweeted: "Blessed to have such a Great Team around me to help me make this happen!! For the A #MakeADifference"
In a similar move in November 2019, the San Francisco 49ers' player Richard Sherman had paid nearly $27,000 to clear outstanding school lunch debts in certain California and Washington state districts. The National Football League (NFL) player also made a significant donation assisting a team of budding football players to attend a championship tournament.
Sherman, while speaking about the endeavor, said: "I was excited to help give these kids an opportunity to do something really special. We wanted to reward them for their hard work and dedication, and their excellence in academics." The 31-year-old cornerback also donated $5,000 to a Pop Warner team from his hometown of Compton, California.