November 14 marks World Diabetes Day, which is the annual global awareness campaign day for diabetes. For the Sounders organization, it's a day to promote - and appreciate - all of the work Jordan Morris has done to raise awareness about the disease. The second-year forward was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 9, but it hasn't stopped him from pursuing his professional dreams. He now uses his platform as an opportunity to inspire others.
Last month, Morris launched the Jordan Morris Foundation. Its opening page states: "I've been given this platform of being blessed to play soccer and I want to use it to do some good. So trying to reach as many younger diabetics as I can to let them know T1D can't hold them back is very important to me."
His foundation is the latest endeavor that Morris has committed to since signing with the Sounders on a Homegrown Player contract in January 2016. In addition to winning AT&T Rookie of the Year honors, Morris was named the team's Humanitarian of the Year in his first pro campaign. A Pacific Northwest regional spokesperson for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Morris raised over $10,000 for JDRF through his personal funding page.
In 2017, Morris teamed up with the club's Community Outreach Department to create T1D Playmakers, which is a program that offers children battling Type 1 diabetes an opportunity to hangout with Morris on the field after each Sounders match. For these kids, it provides an once-in-a-lifetime experience to go onto the field with a professional athlete. For Morris, though, it gives him a chance to inspire and educate others to follow their dreams. For all of his efforts, he was named the club's Humanitarian of the Year once again in 2017.
“It’s very important," Morris told SoundersFC.com. "A lot of people still have misconceptions about the disease, so continuing to raise awareness is very important for me to try and get the word out there that everything is going to be OK for these kids that are newly diagnosed. It’s a scary time, so for me it’s important and why I started the foundation.”
Click here for more information on how you can contribute to the Jordan Morris Foundation.
