Man Who Kicked Heroin Addiction Now On Mission To Give Back To Local Kids
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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- As summer comes to an end, a lot of kids will start up with sports and other activities.
Earlier this week -- we introduced you to the football santa -- a local man who kicked his heroin addiction and has now made it his mission to give back to local kids to make sure they stay out of trouble and in school.
Tonight we give William Wolosin three cheers.
It's a story that's become all too common.
For Wolosin it started with an accident at work.
"I cut my fingers off and I got prescribed a Percocet, it just escalated from that, turned into heroin. I was broken, suicidal, just wanted to give up on life," he said.
But Wolosin found another way.
He successfully completed rehab and credits his faith for pulling him out of the darkness of addiction.
Now he's going even further, sponsoring local children he doesn't know so they can play football for their local teams.
His motivation stems from one question he asked himself: "What can I do to play my part and be a productive member of society."
Wolosin did not have to do this.
He knows that.
But when you've been that close to death, you can't help but want to celebrate life, by bringing joy to those around you.
"My heart is trying to help kids to not go through what I went through. The best thing for me to do is catch them at a young age," he said.
For so many kids, sports are an outlet to keep them focused, accountable and out of trouble.
Wolosin wants all kids to have that chance no matter their financial background.
And unlike so many who stand on the sidelines, he's got skin in the game.