Torrey Smith is continuing his successful transition from playmaker on the field to difference-maker in the community.
Smith and his wife, Chanel, have announced they are partnering with Baltimore City Recreation & Parks to reopen the Hilton Recreation Center in West Baltimore. The rec center has been closed since 2008, but the Smiths have taken on the project as part of their Level82 fund.
Smith was always passionate about giving back to Baltimore during his five seasons as a wide receiver with the Ravens (2011-14), and that commitment has continued since his retirement from the NFL in 2019. The Smiths have made the Baltimore area their home and are dedicated to having an impact.
"We're responsible now for running the programming at the Hilton Rec center in partnership with Baltimore Rec & Parks," Smith said. "It's something that I'm not going to lie, we're a little nervous about, but we're excited about the responsibility to help others and beings hands on with the community, helping to change neighborhood one family and one individual at a time."
"Torrey and I became adults in this city and we grew to love the community and the people in it, and we really believe that there's so much potential here in Baltimore," Chanel Smith said. "We can't wait to get started."
In other community news, Ravens Pro Bowl defensive end Calais Campbell has launched the Charles Richard Campbell Lend-A-Hand Fund. This new program will provide select Baltimore County households with emergency bill assistance.
Campbell's CRC Foundation honors his late father, who raised eight children believing in teaching life skills to young people that would help them overcome adversity. During a sixth-month period when Campbell was 11 years old, his family lived in a homeless shelter, an experience that inspired him to help others in need. Campbell has been involved with philanthropic efforts throughout his career and he is the NFL's reigning Walter Payton Man of the Year.
