Baltimore Ravens’ linebacker Ray Lewis along with former NFL player Reggie Howard have stretched out a helping hand to a young boy who survived after his mother drove into the Hudson River, committing suicide and killing three children.
The surviving child, La’Shaun Armstrong, attended a Manhattan fundraiser Saturday night for the United Athletes Foundation, which is supported by the Baltimore Ravens star. Some of the proceeds will go to create a relief fund to provide him with mentoring, counseling and tutoring.
Lewis reached out to the child as soon as he heard about the April 12 tragedy. The boy escaped through a van window after the car plunged into the water in Newburgh, N.Y., and was rescued by a passing driver. La’Shaun’s 25-year-old mother, Lashanda Armstrong, reportedly was distraught over an argument with her boyfriend.
Lewis’ foundation hosted Armstrong and his grandmother (who is now taking care of the boy) for a weekend at the Manhattan Grand Hyatt hotel, gave them a check for an undisclosed amount and plan to continue helping the family in the future.
With fan frustration mounting toward NFL owners and players as well as the slew of stories being reported about player misbehavior during the lockout, everyone professionally involved with NFL football should pray for more stories like this in the weeks to come.
