On Tuesday, May 21, Steelers fans and the general public will have a chance to partake in a night of faith, football, and family at the inaugural “Resilience Bowl.”
Headlined by a celebrity flag football game that features former NFL athletes, actors, comedians, and musicians, the fundraising event is part of a larger project with the nonprofit organization the Neighborhood Resilience Project.
On the organization’s website page, they focus on “creating resilient healing and healthy communities. One block at a time.” The origin of the project stems back to the teachings of the Orthodox church and the tenets of the Civil Rights Movement.
The event is part of a collaboration with former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu and his wife, Theodora.
Polamalu, who now lives on the West Coast, described what coming back to the city of Pittsburgh means to him.
“Well, I love Pittsburgh. I've lived in Pittsburgh longer than I've lived anywhere in my life. So I've considered it home,” he told Pittsburgh City Paper.
“It’s always great to go back, it’s always great to see all of our families, especially our church ones. We definitely miss it every time we go back, we see more and more of the things we miss.”
The Polamalus' involvement with the organization goes back over a decade when they co-founded another nonprofit organization called Focus North America. It served as a springboard for the Neighborhood Resilience Project.
In addition, Polamalu referenced Father Paul T. Abernathy, who is the CEO of the Neighborhood Resilience Project and pastor of St. Moses the Black Orthodox chrch, as someone who moved into the Hill District and began to engage in community building.
“He started finding a lot of different things [out] about the community, and not only that, he started talking with different members of the community on how to heal it [from] within. A lot of people understand the problems that the Hill District had been dealing with,” he said.
The Hill District, a neighborhood that is approximately one mile away from downtown Pittsburgh, has a rich history of artistry, jazz, and Black culture that dates back to the early 20th century. Urban redevelopment in the 1950s was a major reason why the community saw a decline in population and the displacement for thousands of individuals.
“The Neighborhood Resilience program is actually designed by that same community, and the people that still live there, and it's begun the healing process of how to heal a community, and that's from within,” Polamalu said.
Over the years, efforts have been made to aid in the restoration of the area, such as the recent New Pathways to Equity Project, which aims to energize, reconnect and rebuild spaces in the Hill District.
In addition, the area also saw the addition of a grocery store, Salem’s Market. The area had been without a grocery store for five years.
The latest annual report from the Neighborhood Resilience Project revealed that, in 2022, 200,000 food items were distributed, 1,500 attendees had access to therapeutic groups, and locals received more than $36,000 in Emergency Relief.
“Theodora and I thought that this was such a great opportunity for us at this time to really celebrate the victories of the Hill District and the Neighborhood Resilience Project,” he said.
Polamalu shared his perspective on giving back to the community and paid homage to the people before him that gave back to the community.
“It’s really just following in the footsteps of the Rooney family, who give back to the community. Following in the footsteps of the great legends like Joe [Greene], Mel [Blount], like Franco [Harris], of blessed memory … I’m just really trying to follow in the footsteps of all the Steeler legends,” he said.
Polamalu also reinforced the idea that football brings friends and families together, and that this event will be no different.
“The really beautiful thing is that it connects everybody obviously with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the city of Pittsburgh … Everybody enjoys watching a team grow, especially the way the game is shared today, you really get to personalize it,” he said.
He used his football playing career as an example, referring to the Steeler faithful that watched him evolve over the years while a member of the Steelers.
“There's many Steeler fans that have seen me as a USC Trojan, and then now coming back and having a celebrity seven on seven football event on May 21. You know, it's crazy just kind of seeing that full cycle.”
In addition to the anticipated Flag Football Celebrity game, fans will also have the opportunity to immerse in football-themed experiences, family-friendly interactives, auctions for autographed memorabilia, and much more. The total fundraising goal for the event is $300,000.
Polamalu is unsure of whether or not the Resilience Bowl will become a yearly tradition.
“We'll see how this first year goes,” he said.
“I think that’s what makes this very different is that it's a real community in the sense that [the Resilience Bowl is] an affordable price for everybody. It's more of the everyday engagement we have with a lot of the members of the community.”
The Resilience Bowl will be held on Tuesday, May 21, starting at 5 p.m. at Acrisure Stadium.
Troy Polamalu will return to the 'Burgh for a greater cause
