For as big an impact as he made on the field for the San Francisco 49ers, Steve Young has a post-NFL legacy that is shaping up to be just as significant.
The Hall of Famer and Super Bowl XXIX MVP is a noted philanthropist who has worked with various charities throughout his career. He even created his own organization, the Forever Young Foundation, and has provided numerous opportunities to countless children across the glove for nearly two decades.
Young's latest initiative is dedicated to 17-year-old Sophie Barton, a family friend who passed away unexpectedly on a hike with her mother in Salt Lake City. Sophie was a musician who often sang in hospitals, and Young and his foundation are looking to honor her by introducing music therapy to a Bay Area hospital.
"You've got children who can't even speak, yet in music therapy, they can sing," said Young's wife, Barb. "Children that can't move, then in music therapy, they're able to dance, or bang on a drum."
The first Sophie's Place is under construction in the Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City, and Steve and Barb are working with the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital in Palo Alto, Calif., to establish a similar music therapy program.
Young funded the creation of the Forever Young Zone playroom at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital several years ago, but there's not enough space for Sophie's Place, so Young is hoping there will be room in the hospital's expansion.
