Minnesota Viking safety Camryn Bynum is connecting with his Filipino roots and doing what he can to help the community.
The University of California graduate is raising money to help lift families out of poverty in the Philippines through the Keys to Freedom Ministries.
He met his wife Lalaine there in that country and has adopted it as his second home.
“The money that we raise can get somebody more electricity. Some people need clean water. Just little things like that that we take for granted out here. But that can change somebody’s life out in the Philippines,” he said to ABC30.
So far, his campaign has raised nearly $20,000 of his $35,000 goal.
Bynum pays homage to his adopted country by wearing the flags of both the US and Philippines on his helmet each game day. He is one of four NFL players to display the flag on his helmet.
He says he feels connected to both his African American and Filipino American heritage.
Earlier this month, he hosted the Filipino Fiesta at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, MN with the Bynum Faith Foundation. He greeted guests there while they enjoyed the traditional Filipino dance Tinikling and take in some of the food.
“From the outside looking in, it might just look like a party – we’re eating, we’ve got live music, dancers here,” Cam said to Vikings.com. “But I let everybody know, it’s really bigger than us. What we’re doing here is for a cause across the world that may end up changing somebody’s life.”
The money raised earlier this month at the event went to typhoon relief for families in the Philippines.
“I let everybody know their fundraising and everybody’s prayers and support is going to help somebody in the future,” he added. “Every single dollar we [raise] is all going back to helping typhoon victims, people who are [living in] poverty and also in bringing [American] football to the Philippines.”
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