CHARACTER COUNTS

Larry Fitzgerald assists in a big way off the field

Jul 24, 2013, 12:42 AM | Updated: 1:30 am

Everybody knows of Arizona Cardinals wide recevier Larry Fitzgerald’s talents on the football field.

Fitzgerald owns just about every receiving record in franchise history and is the youngest player in NFL history to reach the 700-catch mark

During the Cardinals’ run to the Super Bowl in 2008, Fitzgerald scored seven touchdowns to go along with 546 receiving yards, setting playoff records in both categories.

What some people may not know is the kind of person the Arizona wideout is off the football field.

Fitzgerald works with several charities around the world, and one of those charities is the Starkey Foundation.

The Starkey Foundation is a non-profit organization that assists those who are hearing-impaired and lack the resources to acquire hearing aids.

Bill Austin started the program with his wife in 1984 and Fitzgerald is one of the bigger supporters of the charity among athletes.

“You get a chance to talk with him, and you see the impact he’s having on humanity. You want to be a part of it,” Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald has been on seven missions since 2009, but a recent trip to Mexico truly opened up his eyes when he personally fit a child with his hearing aid, then turned it on.

“His family saw it, and they got so emotional,” Fitzgerald said. “I lost it. They lost it. It was one of those moments, you know, where you see somebody’s life change. Not just his, but his family’s and how they all communicate.

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Larry Fitzgerald assists in a big way off the field