Niko Goodrum spent his off day donating water in Flint, MI

While some Tigers players used their off days to rest, relax, and decompress, Niko Goodrum spent this Monday giving back to the community that has embraced him this season. 26-year-old Goodrum, who hails from Fayetteville, GA, wanted to put into action the lessons his parents instilled in him from an early age.

“The big thing my parents always taught me was someone always needs help. No one gets anywhere by themselves,” he told the press. He opted to give back by heading to Flint, Michigan to donate about 1400 cases of bottled water to Flint residents via the Bethel United Methodist Church.

In spite of official statements that claim Flint tap water is now safe, the are those in the city who are still hesitant to trust their water. That’s where Bethel United comes in: every Monday they give out food and water to those in the Flint community who need it, and that’s where Goodrum saw he could best help.

“I don’t want anyone to not have some good water. I’m trying to do whatever I can do on my end to help, to get some water to everyone because everyone needs water that’s healthy for them,” he said. And did he mind giving up his off day? “I didn’t mind if it was an off day, or if it had been a game day. Something like that, I want to be here.”

Goodrum is apparently also hoping to team up with the Tigers to provide additional assistance for Flint in the form of more water, or filter options.

You can point to his upbringing, and you can applaud the club he plays with for helping him coordinate the massive order, but at the end of the day the accolades should all fall on Goodrum himself. He found himself in a position to give back, and he took direct action.

That’s the kind of Tiger we should all be proud to have on the team.