On Sunday, a group of football players from the US National Football League (NFL), came for a special visit to Shalva in Jerusalem.
The delegation consisted of some 30 leading football players, past and present, including several who wore Super Bowl rings. Included were Tyson Alualu of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Don Carey of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Michael Pierce of the Baltimore Ravens, Miles Killebrew of the Detroit Lions, Warrick Dunn, who played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Atlanta Falcons, Tommie Harris of the Chicago Bears, and coach Jim Caldwell.
Duing the course of their visit, the group learned about Shalva's programs, toured the facilities, and met Yossi Samuels, the blind and deaf son of Shalva's founders. Samuels communicates through signing into the palm of his hand and speech, and was the impetus for Shalva's creation.
At the conclusion of the tour, the players had a moving experience throwing and catching footballs with Shalva youngsters who had trained with representatives of the Israel football league in preparation for the NFL delegation's visit.
Shalva Founder and President Kalman said, "The NFL players' visit was very powerful and focused on the ability in the midst of disability. The Shalva youngsters greatly enjoyed the interaction while the players were inspired to further their own roles as ambassadors of change in their communities."