Redskins offensive tackle Ty Nsekhe continued his giving spirit by spending part of Tuesday buying gifts for the daughter of Philando Castile.
Just a month after purchasing football tickets for the families of Dallas police officers impacted by this summer's shootings, offensive tackle Ty Nsekhe continued his giving spirit.
On Tuesday, Nsekhe visited Tyson's Corner mall to go Christmas shopping for Dae-Anna Reynolds, daughter of Diamond Reynolds, who was Philando Castile's girlfriend, to spread some Christmas cheer as the holiday approaches.
Dae-Anna, just five years old, was in the backseat of Castile's car on July 6, when a police officer shot and killed her father in Falcon Heights, Minn., outside of St. Paul, during a traffic stop. Diamond recorded the encounter on Facebook Live, which sparked immediate outrage and protests.
Wanting to lift Dae-Anna's spirits, Nsekhe reached out to the Redskins public relations team to see if there might be a way to help the family through what will be the first Christmas without her dad.
"It's just about the time of year. It's really a time to give back any way you can," Nsekhe said. "I just look at the situations that took place this past year. I just thought about that situation specifically because that's a little girl who witnessed a real traumatic event. It's unfortunate. So I just felt like, maybe instead of her having a lasting memory of that traumatic event, maybe brighten up her holiday season."
The Redskins contacted Diamond through her lawyer, who relayed that Dae-Anna would love an American Girl doll. Instead of shipping one to her online, Nsekhe decided to go to one of the store's locations in the mall and personalize the doll for her instead.
Along with the doll, Nsekhe picked out some accessories and a stuffed pet dog that matched the princess attire.
"It was an experience," Nsekhe said. "I didn't know there were so many selections to choose from the doll. That was a whole different world I had never seen before."
"The holidays are a tough time for Dae-Anna and I without Philando," Diamond said in a statement from the family's lawyer. "He was a loving and caring person who loved us and we loved him. Knowing that people like Ty and the Redskins are thinking of us and care means a lot and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts. Dae-Anna loves the gift and we appreciate it."
Before Thanksgiving, Nsekhe, and Arlington, Texas, native, met with Dallas police officers and their families who had been impacted by the shootings that occurred a day after Castile's death. He gave away tickets for the Thanksgiving game and received some nice feedback afterward from those that attended.
"I'm not looking at sides, I'm just looking at victims of violence that's uncalled for," Nsekhe said. "Me, as a person living on this earth, I'm just doing my part to be socially responsible, and the platform that I have, hopefully somebody can take heed from my example."
Nsekhe also plans to make a donation to the Castile's Memorial Fund, a scholarship fund set up by Castile's mother, to provide more financial support. In the midst of the racial tension in this country, Nsekhe knows that these acts of kindness are the best way to use his platform in the NFL.
"There's a lot of eyes on the actions that I do, on and off the field," Nsekhe said. "Hopefully, I'm trying to lead by example. Hopefully I'm doing my part. Hopefully somebody looks at it and they're saying 'hey, maybe I can do something, too.'"
