Poirier receives inaugural Forrest Griffin Community Award for charitable work in community

On Friday, the UFC announced that UFC lightweight Dustin Poirier has been named the inaugural recipient of the Forrest Griffin Community Award, presented by Toyo Tires.  According to the UFC press release, “[t]he award will recognize a UFC athlete for their exceptional volunteer and charity work and the meaningful impact their efforts have on the community.”

Via UFC press release: 

As the inaugural recipient of the Forrest Griffin Community Award, Dustin will receive a $25,000 donation to the charity of his choice. All donations are courtesy of Toyo Tires. Dustin will be honored for this award later this year during the 2020 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Toyo Tires^®, which will be streamed live on UFC FIGHT PASS^®.

In April 2018, Dustin and his wife, Jolie, established The Good Fight Foundation, with the mission of being committed to helping those in need and to fighting to change the world by doing positive things in the community.

Throughout the first two years of the foundation’s existence, the Poiriers have launched a series of initiatives for those in need throughout their hometown of Lafayette and neighboring Acadiana, Louisiana. These programs include annual Thanksgiving food drives, back to school campaigns, and fundraisers to help purchase necessity kits for hundreds of women experiencing homelessness, as well as furniture for local shelters.

Dustin has also utilized his fight-worn UFC Fight Kits, auctioning off his inventory of apparel to raise donations for families of fallen law enforcement officers, and building a local playground for Aaron Hill, a terminally ill seven-year old of Lafayette. Hill, diagnosed with a genetic brain disorder, requested to have a special needs playground built for his friends who attend Prairie Elementary School.

 
In May 2019, he was awarded with the key to the city of Lafayette by Mayor Joel Robideaux for his work with The Good Fight Foundation and his contributions to the community. Following his most recent fight in September 2019 against UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in Abu Dhabi, Nurmagomedov and Poirier each raffled off their fight-worn UFC Legacy Series Walkout Jerseys, raising more than $100,000 with a direct match from UFC, totaling $200,000 donated directly to the foundation.

The funds generated from this global auction helped purchase hundreds of car seats, which were donated to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital of Lafayette. Later that year, Poirier and his foundation also partnered with former UFC heavyweight Justin Wren’s “Fight For The Forgotten” organization. As part of this joint partnership, Poirier and Wren were able to use the funds raised and the platform to combat the water crisis in Uganda. During the campaign, they exceeded their fundraising goal of purchasing new water wells, and also secured 43.21 acres of land and a solar powered water well to create a more self-sustainable living environment for the Batwa Pygmy Tribe.

This year, Dustin and his team have stayed active in the community with relief efforts associated with COVID-19 by donating more than 1,000 meals to frontline healthcare workers at local hospitals and clinics. 

Payout Perspective:

One of the most-respected athletes in the UFC, Poirier has been giving back to his community for some time.  The award is well-deserved and his continued dedication to help those in need is admirable.  The UFC did well in making sure that Poirier was the first to receive this award.