“The true heroes of the new millennium will be servant leaders, quietly working out of the spotlight to transform our world.” -Ann McGee Cooper
This is a quote that has been branded in the heart of Cartier “Niko” Goodrum who is a native of Atlanta, GA. He was drafted into the MLB organization from high school in 2010. He played with the Minnesota Twins until 2018 when he joined the Detroit Tigers for 4 years, then he went to the Houston Astros where he was blessed to receive a World Series ring. In 2023, he was with the Boston Red Sox, and the KBO Lotte Giants, in 2024, he has played with several teams, and now is presently with the Baltimore Orioles.
Being no stranger to servant leadership, Niko began participating in community service at a young age by serving at one of Atlanta’s Food Banks on several occasions with his church’s Teen Ministry. He has been involved with community service each season since joining the MLB organization. Niko has been dedicated to using his platform to help those in need attain their goals by providing essential tools to give them a jumpstart on the journey. In 2013, he received the Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service for his participation in charity events and community service in Cedar Rapids, IA.
After joining the Detroit Tigers’ organization, Niko quickly made his presence felt in the State of Michigan. While his 16 homeruns, 53 RBIs, and 12 stolen bases were certainly recognition worthy, they did not hold a candle to what immediately followed. Niko momentarily removed his cleats, and put on his servant cap, donating over 1,400 cases of water to the residents of Flint, Michigan in the height of a water crisis. Those efforts would be more than doubled the very next year, when he and a few of his teammates would donate over 3,000 cases of water to the Flint residents. This has been an ongoing venture for him.
In June of 2020, doGOODthings, Inc., was officially founded as a 501(c)3 domestic non-profit corporation to allow Niko to do what he is so passionate about; helping others with the mission of “making a positive impact in communities through life changing experiences”.