Rams 28 Club

[RamDez]

On Tuesday, June 1, Marshall Faulk hosted a party for children from the Rams 28 Club, a youth incentive program created by the Marshall Faulk Foundation, the St. Louis Rams, and the St. Louis Rams Foundation. Faulk spoke to the youth and gave a tour of the Rams training facility.

Now in its fifth year, the Rams 28 Club includes youth from five participating community centers including St. Charles Boys & Girls Club (St. Charles), Cochran Community Center (St. Louis), Beyond Housing Castle Point Center (St. Louis), Jackie Joyner-Kersee Boys & Girls Club (East St. Louis) and Christian Activity Center (East St. Louis). Now in its fifth year, the Rams 28 Club encourages and rewards its members, children ages 8-18 who are living in public housing, for positive choices in life, with a special emphasis on attitude, education, and community service. Using a giant football field to chart their progress, members have the opportunity to receive incentive items based on their personal successes in school, home, and at the community center. As the youth meet goals in these areas they gain yards on the football field. In 2002, NFL Charities recognized the Rams 28 Club with a $20,000 grant to expand its reach.

In addition to the Rams 28 Club, Marshall knows the importance of encouraging these often disenfranchised children from his personal experiences living in the Desire Housing Project in New Orleans, La., to which he recently donated $30,000 over the next three years to fund a recreational center. Marshall has become very involved in local children’s programs donating his time to youth organizations including Lift for Life Gym, Cochran Community Center, East St. Louis Christian Activity Center, the St. Louis Internship Program, The Right Step Shoe Program, the American Liver Foundation and the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Boys & Girls Club. To date, the Foundation has donated more than $1 million to inner city youth.

Marshall emphasizes character development in youth and participated in the "Get into the Game" character education program for the Rams. He also supports the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro St. Louis by granting numerous wishes each year and serving as the honorary chair for the Rams celebrity server dinner, Serving Up Wishes In Prime Time.

Marshall also contributes through various performance donations. He donates $340 for every touchdown to American Liver Foundation as a tribute to Walter Payton, and $2,000 for every touchdown to the Marshall Plan which benefits youth through his foundation. For the past eight years, Marshall has hosted a celebrity golf tournament. This year, he hosted the Marshall Faulk Foundation - Super Bowl XXXVIII Host Committee Celebrity Golf Tournament in Houston. Through the tourney, Marshall raised more than $59,500 to enhance his ability to work with underprivileged youth.

In 2000, the Rams selected Marshall as their Man of the Year winner for exemplary efforts both on and off the field. Marshall’s commitment both on and off the field exemplifies his dedication to being the best he can be – whether it’s gaining a record number of yards or helping children achieve their goals.