Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young is helping the people of Atlanta start off their decade on the best foot possible.
Atlanta's ABC-affiliate reported on Wednesday that Young partnered with RIP Medical Debt to erase more than $1 million in medical debt for people in the city who couldn't afford to pay their bills. Young said he felt moved to do this because Atlanta has been nothing but hospitable since the Hawks drafted him in 2018.
"The city of Atlanta has welcomed me with open arms," Young said. "Giving back to this community is extremely important to me. I hope these families can find a bit of relief knowing that their bills have been taken care of as we enter the New Year."
RIP Medical is a non-profit that used donated funds to purchase medical debt from companies. It focuses on buying accounts of those who are more than two times below the federal poverty level, insolvent, and/or with debts that are more than their annual income. Young's Trae Young Foundation offers relief to those in the greater Atlanta area. Through his foundation, he donated $10,000 to RIP Medical, allowing the non-profit to buy and eliminate $1,059,186.39 in medical debt.
This initiative erased close to $2,000 in debt for over 500 people. Since his efforts were made public, Young has received unanimous praise from his colleagues.
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