In partnership with RIP Medical, the Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young supported the nonprofit’s mission of eliminating debt for the city’s residents who couldn’t afford certain bills. According to WSB-TV, Young’s $10,000 donation led the $1,059,186.39 medical debt to be erased.
“The city of Atlanta has welcomed me with open arms. Giving back to this community is extremely important to me,” the guard said. “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.” Since 2014, RIP Medical Debt has wiped out over $1 billion in healthcare costs since its inception, ABC News reports.
In a November 2019 report by CNBC, 137 million Americans are dealing with astronomical medical debt. So much so that the report claims Americans have been considering dipping into their 401(k)s to assist with the medical costs.
A year after joining the league in 2018, the 21-year-old established a foundation in his name. The outlet “was formed with the goals of continuing education for mental health problems, particularly cyber and social media bullying. Children and adults on a daily basis deal with depression, anxiety, PTSD among other issues that are caused by cyber and social media bullying.”
“Blessed to have such a great team around me to help me make this happen!!” he tweeted. “For the A #MakeADifference.”
Blessed to have such a Great Team around me to help me make this happen!!
For the A❤️ #MakeADifference https://t.co/EIAFDN9ViR
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) January 8, 2020
