HOUSTON – He’s a fast-ball hitter, a threat anywhere in the lineup, a presence on the field and a leader with a voice that carries serious weight, not only with his teammates, but with those he touches daily outside the game.
At 26, Carlos Correa wants to make a difference – both on the field and in the world. The man who makes things go in the infield as the Houston Astros shortstop wants to leave a lasting legacy that includes not only what he does in baseball, but also by doing all he can to give back whether it is reaching out to children fighting cancer or helping those affected by poverty or natural disasters.
Over the last year alone, Correa and his wife Daniella Rodriguez, through the Correa Family Foundation, have raised more than $200,000 for pediatric cancer patients and teamed with Astros’ second baseman Jose Altuve to provide and help distribute a combined $50,000 in meals to children in need during the recent winter storm.
When the pandemic hit last spring, Correa donated $500,000 in medical equipment to the city for use during the fight against COVID 19. Once Houston no longer needs the equipment, it will be donated to hospitals in the poorest regions of Central America.
That leadership and commitment has earned him the Houston Sports Awards’ 2021 Sportsmanship Award. He is in elite company with two-time Sportsmanship Award winner and former Houston Texan J.J. Watt (2018, 2019) and last year’s winner, Texans’ linebacker Whitney Mercilus.
A leader in the clubhouse, Correa, the 2015 American League Rookie of the Year and first pick of the 2012 draft, isn’t afraid to speak out when he needs to, but he also takes his prominence in his home country of Puerto Rico seriously. Correa reached out with a team of 30 volunteers to help his hometown of Santa Isabel and the area after Hurricane Maria in 2017.
He and Daniella were in Puerto Rico in 2020 when the earthquake hit and saw first-hand the devastation, leading him to partner with the Astros Foundation and others to deliver 350,000 pounds of supplies that included nonperishable foods, tents, cots, sheets, and medication.
About the Houston Sports Awards The fourth annual Houston Sports Awards presented by Insperity will be held on Monday April 26, 2021 at The Club at Carlton Woods Creekside. This star-studded dinner and awards show brings together Houston’s top athletes, both past and present, to commemorate, celebrate and recognize Houston’s top sports achievements, sports icons, performers and moments. For more information, please visit www.houstonsportsawards.com.
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www.houstonsportsawards.com