The NFL is teaming up with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona to inspire change as we kick off Black History Month.
On Tuesday evening they set up a chance for families to chat with one of our Arizona Cardinals about the power of mentorship and how to set kids up for success in life.
Having a mentor has been proven to improve academic performance and minimize exposure to risky behaviors for kids and teenagers.
Cardinals linebacker and Valley native Devon Kennard and his dad Derek, a Super Bowl champion, have seen it firsthand.
As an inner-city kid in California, Derek says he was set on the path to success by another football player.
"They impacted my life by laying out a floor-plan of what to do and how to do it. It gave me somebody that looked like me to be able to say, 'Wow, I can do this,'" said Kennard.
He passed that lesson on to his son Devon and now both pay it forward by working to create generational change in the Black community.
Devin Del Palacio with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona says that kind of representation matters as there are more than 100 boys on the waitlist for a mentor and most are African American.
He's hoping Tuesday night's live chat inspires more people to become a mentor and also encourages parents to sign their kids up for the free program.
The Kennards will be sharing their experiences during the Power of Mentorship event on Feb. 2 at 6 p.m.
The free event will be streamed on Zoom.
RSVP and get a link to the event here.
Event details also available on the Big Brothers Big Sisters Facebook page.
