McNair wins Nashville’s Community Spirit Award
Less than 24 hours after competing in Sunday’s Pro Bowl, Titans quarterback Steve McNair was accepting the Community Spirit Award at the 8th Annual O’Charley’s Dinner of Champions Monday at Gaylord Opryland Resort.
After nearly leading the AFC to a victory in Sunday’s Pro Bowl, McNair was on a red-eye flight from Honolulu back to Nashville. He was honored as one of the best in Middle Tennessee sports for his Hurricane Katrina relief efforts last September.
"It means a lot," McNair said upon receiving the award. "My foundation is all about helping those less fortunate. Our goal is to make sure that every individual has an equal opportunity to be successful in life. That was our goal in terms of Katrina relief, going into boys and girls clubs and the different organizations that needed help."
Moved by the hurricane’s devastation in his home state of Mississippi, McNair coordinated a massive relief effort at the Coliseum, loading more than 30 trucks full of donated items ranging from food, clothing and other supplies to send to hurricane victims along Mississippi’s Gulf Coast.
"When things happen in life, you always think back to what should have or could have," McNair said. "And when mother nature did damage to Mississippi, Alabama and Lousiana, it meant a lot to help out and provide people with some of the basics that they didn’t have. Things like clothes. food and water."
McNair, who was later named the “Philanthropist of the Year” by the Association of Fundraising Professionals for the various community projects he supports through the Steve McNair Foundation, was especially appreciative of the outpouring of support from those who donated time, money and resources througout Nashville and the state of Tennessee.
"Thanks to the state of Tennessee and the city of Nashville, the people that donated items to families that they didn’t even know," McNair said. "That was a great inspiration to me to see people come out and empty their trunks, their bags and pour their hearts out to those three states. That was amazing to me."
McNair has been MVP of the NFL, made three Pro Bowls and even led his team to a Super Bowl, but nothing, he said, compares to the award he received last night.
"This is better than any of those individual awards because this one goes not only to me, but to my family, my foundation, my agent, and all of the people that helped out to make this possible."
McNair was one of many honored at the event, which was attended by more than 800 people.
“This event continues to celebrate incredible achievements in sports,” said Carter Todd, Nashville Sports Council Chairman.
