Penn State QB Sean Clifford continues Big Brothers Big Sisters involvement in Centre County
Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford was on hand at the Calvary Church Saturday to meet staff, volunteers are kids involved in the Youth Service Bureau’s Big Brothers Big Sisters program.
He also presented donations to the Centre County program, including $10,000 from Allstate, as Clifford chose YSB’s Big Brothers Big Sisters program as his charity of choice when he was selected to the 2021 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. He used $5,000 from his NIL opportunities with Cameo and the Clifford Bros. Training app to make his own donation to the program.
The YSB held a meet-and-greet with Clifford that featured games, prizes, food and an autograph signing from the three-year Penn State starting quarterback.
“This event is near and dear to my heart as I’ve actually been involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters for (about) eight years,” Clifford said, adding that his involvement started in his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. He was heavily involved as a volunteer while attending high school at St. Xavier, a Catholic school where volunteering and service projects were the norm for all students.
“I was a Big Brother my junior and senior year, I still keep in contact with my Little (brother) and then now, I was looking for something to be involved in and the minute that I saw Big Brothers Big Sisters, I was like, ‘That’s my organization.’ It’s been a blast. I’ve got to meet lots of great families. With my Little Brother Aidan specifically, it’s been fantastic,” he said.
The goals of the YSB include providing “children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better,” according to a press release. The Big Brothers Big Sisters is a part of the organization’s prevention programming.
Clifford joined as a Centre County volunteer for Big Brothers Big Sisters last year.
“We feel just so lucky to have him as one of our volunteers because he is just such a well-known and well-loved member of the Penn State and State College — the Centre County community,” said Rebecca Lord, program director for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Centre County. “We are really thrilled with the fact that he came to us to just want to get involved and he came to us because he had an experience in high school where he volunteered as a Big Brother. So, he just wanted to carry that through to his time as a Penn State student.”
Clifford and his father, John Clifford, fully expect his brother, Liam, to also get involved volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters. Liam Clifford is currently a freshman wide receiver with the Nittany Lions and participated in Big Brothers Big Sisters while attending St. Xavier as well.
“Liam is definitely on the same trajectory,” John Clifford said. “He did a lot in high school as well and I know that’s important to him and important to our family. That’s what we always promoted to our boys that you get one shot at this and you have to make a difference in people’s lives. It’s not about you.”
This story was originally published December 12, 2021 at 12:23 PM.
