Not only do we love giving back and serving our community here at the Wentworth Real Estate Group, but we also like to acknowledge other individuals who are making a positive difference.

Genesee County has a long tradition of developing elite prep athletes who achieve at the highest level in their respective sports. Many of these athletes have taken their talent to college, and some have even been able to transition to the professional ranks. Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram, world boxing champions Chris Byrd and Anthony Dirrell, baseball star Jim Abbott, and basketball all-stars Glen Rice and Jeff Grayer are all high profile athletes from Genesee County. These individuals have continued the practice of giving back to the community by donating time and money. I can personally remember attending the Carl Banks football camps in my youth. Carl Banks is a Beecher graduate and former football standout who went on to have an eleven-year career for the New York Giants. Those camps were free of charge and through those experiences I was able to forge friendships and make memories that endure till this day.

Among the current generation of Flint athletes making a difference is Flint native Kyle Kuzma, who recently announced he would be donating $1m to the YMCA in Flint, Michigan. According to MLive.com, the YMCA of Greater Flint plans a new 41 million dollar facility in downtown Flint. Kuzma’s donation will help build a state of the art gymnasium that will be named after him. 

Kyle Kuzma was born and raised in Flint, Michigan where he attended Bentley and Swartz Creek high schools. While playing at the YMCA, he was discovered by the Rising Academy Prep School in Philadelphia. He received a scholarship from the University of Utah, where he played three years before forgoing his final year and entering the NBA draft. Kuzma has been a professional player since 2017, winning a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018. He currently plays for the Washington Wizards alongside another Flint native, Monte Morris, a former Mr. Basketball and two-time state champion from Beecher.

Clarissa Shields is another athlete representing the new generation of standout professionals  from the Genesee County area. Clarissa is a former amateur boxer and gold medal winning Olympian. She is currently the undisputed Light Middleweight Champion of the world and is widely regarded as the greatest female boxer of all time. Aside from being the most visible athlete from the area, she has also donated time and money toward many endeavors. One of her main focuses has been fighting childhood hunger through the Feeding America initiative. Their purpose of supporting youth nutrition and bringing awareness to childhood hunger is personal for Shields, as she can remember being hungry as a youth growing up on Flint's rugged northside. Shields was also instrumental in helping to get the city council to approve $11.5m in renovations to the Flint Berston Community Center.

Those are just a couple of the many athletes doing great things for our communities. The Wentworth Real Estate Group would like to salute Kyle, Clarissa, and all area athletes for their time and charitable contributions.