How can athletes use community involvement to attract and retain sponsors?

Wing strongly emphasizes giving back to the community as a sponsorship strategy. He says: 'If you're doing something to give back to the community, feel free to call me because I'll be the first guy to say, I think that's a great idea.' He highlights athletes like Ryan Sheckler who has a foundation, and Tony Hawk who 'has given back to the community more than any other skater.' Rather than asking for personal sponsorship, athletes should propose community events where sponsors can contribute - this approach is much more attractive to brands than purely self-serving requests.