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Some football fans know that Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Hines Ward won the Super Bowl MVP award in 2006 by catching five passes for 123 yards and a touchdown to help his team capture the most coveted championship in sports with a 21-10 win over the Seattle Seahawks. What many people don’t know is that Ward is half Korean and felt deeply ashamed of his Korean heritage for much of his life.

Ward was born in Seoul, South Korea to a Korean mother and African American father. In Korea, people of mixed-race backgrounds often face discrimination and prejudice. Ward’s mother, Kim Young-hee, didn’t want her son to bear that, so she brought him to the U.S., a country in which she didn’t know the people or the language. Divorced from her husband, she raised Ward by herself.

Ward expressed gratitude for his mother’s courage, “My mom means everything to me. No one ever gave her anything. She left her own country so I could have a better life in America. I can never repay her for all she has done for me. Whenever people say I can’t do this or can’t do that, I think about what my mom went through and just work harder to prove (them) wrong. My mom is my inspiration. She is my hero.”

Ward and his mother visited Korea after he won the Super Bowl. They had planned it so that Ward could spend time with her and learn about his heritage. He said, “Before I went back to Korea, I was ashamed of Korean people because of the way they treated my mom after I was born. I really didn’t know much about Korean culture.”

After he went back to his country of birth for the first time since he left, he experienced something profound. The Korean people not only accepted him, they gave him honorary citizenship from Seoul. It changed his life. “I was overwhelmed by the greeting and outpouring of love they showed to my mom and me. It was something I will never forget. I am very proud to be Korean and plan to go to Korea every year to learn more about my heritage.”

During the trip, Ward met some mixed-race children from an organization called the Pearl S. Buck International, a nonprofit dedicated to helping children throughout the world by adoption, child sponsorship and cross-cultural education. Because of his own life experience, Ward felt compelled to help these children. He donated a million dollars to form a nonprofit called the Hines Ward Helping Hands Foundation after he returned to the U.S.

Ward said, “I was truly moved and touched by these kids. Hearing what they go through on a daily basis, the discrimination and ridicule, really hit home with me. I decided to create my foundation to help the biracial kids. I want to give them hope. Who knows where I would be if I had not left Korea and been given an opportunity to achieve my goals and dreams? I want these children to know they count for something; they do matter. I want to bring them encouragement. I want them to believe in themselves and to strive to make their dreams a reality. No matter what people say, they can achieve anything if they put their minds to it and never give up. I’m a living example of this.”

His foundation provides mixed-race Korean children a chance to experience life in the U.S. It holds an annual essay contest to identify eight children to come to America for a four to five day visit, and Ward reads every essay. “I enjoy bringing (kids) over from Korea through my foundation. I bring them to Pittsburgh where they stay with host families. They tour the museums in Pittsburgh, and I get to spend some quality time with them. They are my guests at a Steelers home game where I get to show them what I do for a living. It’s a special time for not only the kids, but for me.”

What do these children think about the experience? Eleven-year-old boy Minseong Jung said, “I really really enjoyed Mr. Ward’s invitation to America. I appreciate him giving me this opportunity. I really learned a lot by having attended this trip. In the future, I hope to be a biologist.”

Ten-year-old boy Yongseon Cho said, “The most memorable moment of my trip to America was when I was able to see Mr. Ward’s game in person.”

Eight-year-old girl Areum Ahn said, “When I first heard the news I was going to go to America, I was so scared. But because meeting Mr. Ward would give me so much hope, my fear disappeared.”

Sixteen-year-old boy Kookhwa Park said, “Meeting Mr. Ward was a really big experience and a great honor for me. Through this trip, I felt very humble in this big world. I was able to gain confidence through Mr. Ward. When I see (him), I keep telling myself I want to be successful too, and I gain more confidence.”

Ward’s vision is to continue making a difference in the future. “My hopes and dreams are that, through my foundation, I can do my part in ending biracial discrimination and discrimination in general, not just in Korea, but around the world. Having been the victim of discrimination growing up, I know what it feels like when people look at you and judge you by the color of your skin or the shape of your eyes. For a child, it is devastating and can have life-long implications.”

He continued, “My foundation is dedicated to the children, and I hope to help improve the quality of life for biracial and underprivileged youth wherever and whenever I can. If my foundation can make even a small dent and an impact in one country like Korea, then my hope is that this will have a ripple effect in other countries as well.”

Ray M. Wong is a freelance writer who contributes a family column to newspapers throughout the U.S. He can be reached by e-mail at raywongwriter@juno.com.