Our world is a place of idols and celebrities. Actors, actresses, reality stars, singers, models, royalty, athletes, and the powerful consume social networks, tabloids, news, and television. Every month it seems there is another prestigious award ceremony or contest between the famous to honor the best. However, there are athletes and artists who do more than the public sees and aren't recognized for their prodigious works that elevate the stars. The actresses with bigger roles, athletes that make the big bucks and big plays, the artists whose songs play over and over on the radio are all publicly honored for their work. However, there are many who work just as hard behind the scenes. One such athlete is Steve Gleason. Steve Gleason deserves …show more content…
After hurricane Katrina, the City of New Orleans was devastated. Once, I was in Mississippi while the area was in the process of rebuilding. It was crazy how destroyed the city was. Tree limbs still littered the sides of streets. Cars and boats were strewn carelessly throughout the city. Buildings, telephone lines, and street lights remained in shambles. This was several months after the disastrous storms. The first game the Saints played back in the Mercedes Benz Superdome after the storm was a huge event for the entire city. In the first few minutes of the game, Gleason blocked a punt and earned the Saints their first touchdown of the game and the first touchdown after Katrina. Gleason pushed the entire city into a state of celebration and provided the extra hope many needed to get through the last little bit. A statue of Gleason's block now stands outside the Superdome as a symbol of rebirth for the team and for the …show more content…
Shortly after his diagnosis, Gleason launched his campaign, No White Flags, to battle ALS. Before Gleason, ALS didn't really have a face. Lou Gehrig was the first to bring awareness to the disease, but that was decades ago. MLB still does special events in honor of Lou Gehrig to raise awareness for ALS and continues to fight for the abolition of the gruesome disease. With the diagnosis of Steve Gleason, the NFL joined the fight. Gleason has appeared in several television specials and commercials that all accent his struggle against ALS and bring in awareness. NFL players across the nation have banned together to produce a commercial for Gleason's foundation urging for the dissipation of the disease. Steve Gleason has become the face of ALS for our generation and has effectively brought the disease to the attention of Americans