Tag: Charity

Hall of Famer Tim Brown recalls setting NFL record for punt return touchdown vs. Chiefs in 2001

Hall of Fame WR Tim Brown sat down with our @EdEastonJr to discuss his record-setting punt return against the #Chiefs in 2001.

The AFC West is again stacked this season, with the other three teams trying to end the Kansas City Chiefs’ dominant run. The Las Vegas Raiders officially hired Antonio Pierce as their head coach after an impressive interim run, highlighted by the Christmas Day victory in Kansas City.

Retired Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown will compete in the third annual Invited Celebrity Classic on April 19-21 at Las Colinas Country Club in Irving, Texas. PGA TOUR Champions professionals will play 54 holes of stroke play for a purse of $2 million with the celebrities in a $500,000 competition.

Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. sat down with Brown to discuss this golf game, record-breaking punt return against the Chiefs, and the Raiders hiring Antonio Pierce.

“You would think I have many opportunities to play that course,” said Brown, a Texas native, of his experience playing at Las Colinas. “There is just something about it: when it becomes an official event, it seems like the course changes on you or something. There’s a couple of little places I know that maybe some of the guys won’t know, but I guess it doesn’t matter if you can hit the ball good.”

Brown was known for his versatility as a returner and receiver early in his NFL career but didn’t expect at 35 to be setting a record for his age returning a punt for a touchdown. The infamous play took place at the Chiefs’ expense in 2001.

“I remember not wanting to be back there; I think I started seventh on the depth chart that year. And I saw guys week after week falling, everybody’s going down, and finally (Jon) Gruden came to me and said, ‘Hey, man, I’m gonna need you to go back there and don’t worry about it, just try and catch I need somebody that I could trust to be back there to catch the ball. And I was like, okay; I got you, coach. No problem. So, that was my plan to just fair catch it, and i did fair catch it. Randy Jordan came back yelling and screaming at me, ‘You better return this ball!’ I say, Randy, if anybody touches me, me and you gonna be fighting. So I went 89 yards untouched; me and Randy Jordan are still friends today because of that play. I tell people at that stage of my career, becoming the oldest man in the league’s history to return a punt for a touchdown. I think it’s sort of put me in a different light than just being a receiver. I think that certainly helped. It didn’t help me be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but certainly, I think people had to consider that when they were looking at my Hall of Fame numbers.”

Brown last played for the Raiders over 20 years ago but has maintained his watch over the current team. He shared his thoughts on new head coach Antonio Pierce and his outspoken confidence in matchups against Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

“I was saying during the year when he took over, if they like it, I love it, and it seems like the boys love it. They’re feeding off his energy to play hard and tough football; it doesn’t mean they gonna win every football game. There’s nothing like seeing the team compete right down to the last second. I think even in the games they lost, you saw that happen. You saw them compete like nobody’s business, and that’s what this thing is all about. You want to see the team is getting better. The team is working hard. They’re laying it on the line, so those things mean a lot to a fan base. Obviously, it meant a lot to Mark Davis for him to retain AP (Antonio Pierce). I think the future’s bright; I don’t have a problem with him at all. I think he probably thinks he has a secret that he did go to Kansas City and beat Kansas City on Christmas Day. So Talk That Talk, brother, just back it up. I’m all good with it.”

The Invited Celebrity Classic is free for the public and has raised $500,000 for charity these past two years. Top celebrity athletes committed are Tony Romo, Albert Pujols, John Smoltz, Adam Thielen, Pudge Rodriguez, Greg Maddux and more.

Fans can register for the event at www.invitedcelebrityclassic.com

Raiders legend Tim Brown on rivalry with Chiefs: ‘Bona fide, from-the-gut hatred’

#Raiders legend Tim Brown told @EdEastonJr about his “bona fide, from-the-gut hatred” for the #Chiefs in a recent interview.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Tim Brown is among the many athletes and celebrities competing in the third annual Invited Celebrity Classic on April 19-21 at Las Colinas Country Club in Irving, Texas. PGA Champions Tour pros and celebrities will be paired together all three days of competition, creating a dynamic attraction for spectators and the Golf Channel audience.

Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. sat down with Brown to discuss this weekend’s golf tournament and the Hall of Famer’s hatred of playing against the Chiefs.

“I can’t wait; I’ve been waiting all year for this,” Brown said, describing his excitement for the golf tournament. “I mean, for another year, I should say. … I didn’t get off to a good start last year and played a lot better on Sunday. I’m hoping to pick it up from there and play good all weekend.”

During Brown’s 16 years with the Los Angeles and Oakland Raiders, he was right in the middle of his team’s rivalry with the Kansas City Chiefs. He explained the mindset and feelings that both teams had for one another on the field during his tenure with the Raiders.

“Oh, the hatred, brother, bona fide from-the-gut hatred for both teams,” Brown said. “I mean, there’re not many games that, after the game, I didn’t shake hands with people. Almost every time we play Kansas City, that never happened. You find a way to, like, ‘Yeah, I’ll see you. I’ll see him later on.’ But you didn’t feel like it, man.

“Because we didn’t have a very good record versus the Chiefs for a while, it certainly made it even harder to be all nice and all that stuff after a game, but yeah, man, it’s the hatred between both teams; I think it was a reason why those rivalries were so good.”

Luckily for Brown, his days of facing Kansas City are over, and he can focus on more important things like his follow-through on drives on the links.

The Invited Celebrity Classic is free to the public and has raised $500,000 for charity over the past two years.

Champions Tour players expected to participate in this event include John Daly, Vijay Singh, Justin Leonard, Retief Goosen, Lee Janzen and Colin Montgomerie.

Fans can register for the event at www.invitedcelebrityclassic.com

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce, Kodiak donate 25,000 hot meals to Kansas City youth

#Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Kodiak donated 25,000 hot meals to young people in Kansas City.

The Kansas City Chiefs players and staff have continued to be involved in community support throughout the Kansas City area. The many off-season events and in-season contributions go beyond the play on the football field and are an excellent representation of the team caring about the city.

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has been one of the best examples of a player giving back to the fans and the many young kids who look up to him.

Kelce, in collaboration with Kodiak, a breakfast company known for its high-protein, whole-grain breakfast products, donated 25,000 meals to the children of Kansas City through Operation Breakthrough, an afterschool program for under-resourced youth, hundreds of families will receive hot breakfasts.

“Joining forces with my friends over at Kodiak to fuel the Operation Breakthrough families is a total privilege,” Travis stated in a press release, “Alongside Kodiak, a brand I love, we will be making a meaningful difference in the day-to-day life of hundreds of Kansas City kids, and I couldn’t be more excited to make this happen.”

The Pro Bowl tight end with the brand aims to fuel an active lifestyle and inspire more nutritious eating. Kelce and Kodiak are committed to getting kids up and outside to pursue adventure, starting with a hearty breakfast packed with protein and 100% whole grains.

“We are thrilled to work with Travis and an organization that is near and dear to his heart,” said Val Oswalt, CEO of Kodiak. “By providing nutritious breakfasts, we are giving kids what they need to be set up for success and ultimately pave the way for healthier futures.”

Kelce has worked closely with Operation Break, a nationally accredited, not-for-profit corporation that acts as a resource for parents in Kansas City on initiatives such as creating the Ignition Lab powered by his foundation Eighty-Seven & Running. “

WATCH: Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes surprises young fan with Super Bowl tickets

#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes surprised a young fan with Super Bowl tickets in a video posted to social media channels this week.

The Christmas holiday may be over, but Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes kept on giving this week when he surprised a young fan named Issac Murdock with tickets to Super Bowl LVIII.

Murdock was at the Chiefs’ facility in Kansas City for what he thought would be a routine interview about his thoughts on the reigning MVP quarterback. Midway through the interview, Mahomes walked in and presented the tickets to Murdock, creating a memory that is sure to last a lifetime.

Check out the video of Murdock’s surprise visit from Mahomes below:

Gestures like this tug at the heartstrings of fans across the country, and are a key part of what makes professional sports so special to so many people.

Mahomes and the Chiefs are known for their involvement in the Kansas City community, and this remarkable gift is yet another symbol of their commitment to making the world a better place.

Broncos CB Pat Surtain named NFLPA Community MVP for Week 14

The Broncos cornerback recently gave two high schools a total of $100,000 to build two state-of-the-art STEAM rooms.

The NFLPA announced Denver Broncos’ Patrick Surtain as the Week 14 Community MVP on Friday.

The Broncos cornerback recently donated a total of $100,000 to two Title 1 schools to build Inspiration STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) rooms through his foundation, the Patrick Surtain II Foundation. According to the foundation’s Facebook page, its purpose is to “level the playing field for students in financially disadvantaged communities.” In October, Surtain held an open forum for schools to pitch how they would incorporate these rooms into their curriculums.

George Washington and Manual High Schools are the two institutions that will benefit from these new rooms, which, according to the NFLPA, will feature wall graphics, robotics, music recording equipment, coding software and other equipment to help promote the best STEAM-learning experience.

The weekly award comes on the heels of Denver left tackle Garett Bolles receiving the team’s nomination for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award. The Broncos continue to be a powerful force for good in the Colorado community at large.

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Chiefs nominate QB Patrick Mahomes for the 2023 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award

Chiefs nominate QB Patrick Mahomes for the 2023 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award

The NFL has announced the players nominated by each of the 32 NFL teams for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. One of the highest annual honors by the NFL, the award signifies on-field excellence and a commitment toward serving their communities off the field.

For the second consecutive season, the Kansas City Chiefs have nominated quarterback Patrick Mahomes for the prestigious award. The reigning league Most Valuable Player leads the club to an 8-4 record, sitting atop the AFC West. He’s completed 301 of his 444 pass attempts for 3,127 yards with 22 touchdowns and ten interceptions.

“The Chiefs organization and the Kansas City community could not ask for a better leader on the field and representative off of it, which is why we are honored to once again announce Patrick Mahomes as the club’s nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award,” Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt wrote, via press release. “Patrick, along with his family and his foundation, truly exemplifies the characteristics that this award represents. Since his career began in 2017, he has demonstrated an ever-increasing commitment to bettering the communities around him. Patrick uses his platform to help those in need, and we feel that he is more than deserving of this high honor. We believe Patrick and his family will continue to impact and empower communities across the country for years to come.”

Since entering the league as the Chiefs’ 10th overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft, Mahomes has significantly impacted both on and off the field. In 2019, he established his foundation, 15 and the Mahomies Foundation, which has emphasized improving the lives of children with a continued focus on supporting health, wellness, and various communities in need of resources.

“It’s such an honor to be nominated again by the Chiefs as the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year,” Mahomes said. “As a dad of two, it means the world to me to be able to provide opportunities and support to underserved youth, and my family and I are so humbled to be in the running for an award that means so much to the Chiefs organization and to our community. It’s crazy to see the way 15 and the Mahomies has grown and continues to make more and more of a difference for kids here in Kansas City, across Texas, and beyond. We know there is still so much work to be done, and we’re so grateful and humbled by the support that Chiefs Kingdom gives us and the foundation. It’s truly an honor to represent my foundation, Chiefs Kingdom, my family, as well as the Payton family and Hunt family.”

Mahomes will wear a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year helmet decal through the end of the season, along with the other 31 nominees, in recognition of their accomplishments on and off the field. He won last year’s Nationwide Charity Challenge, extending the Chiefs team streak to three seasons.

Chiefs fans can support Mahomes by voting on X (formerly Twitter) using the #WPMOYChallenge hashtag followed by “Mahomes” or his Twitter handle. If Mahomes receives the most votes between Dec. 5 and Jan. 8 this year, fans can also vote by visiting NFL.com/ManOfTheYear. The player who gets the most hashtag mentions and online votes wins an additional $35,000 for their charity. The runner-up receives $10,000, and third-place will receive $5,000 for their charity, all courtesy of Nationwide. You can vote and find hashtag information and official rules at NFL.com/ManOfTheYear.

Denver Broncos Foundation donates $1 million to Café Momentum

The Broncos donated $1 million to Café Momentum, a restaurant and culinary training facility that hires youth exiting juvenile detention.

The Denver Broncos Foundation just took a huge step in terms of helping the social climate for our youth. Earlier this week, the Foundation donated $1 million to Café Momentum, an award-winning restaurant and culinary training facility.

Café Momentum makes an effort to hire youth exiting juvenile detention and employs them as paid interns. In this internship, the youth have the opportunity to run all aspects of the business.

“We are thrilled to announce this strategic partnership with Café Momentum in an effort to comprehensively serve justice-involved youth in the Metro Denver Area,” Denver Broncos Foundation Executive Director Allie Engelken said in a statement.

“With the dedicated support of Owner and Board Chair Carrie Walton Penner, the Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group and entire board of directors, the Foundation is committed to deepening educational and economic opportunities and pathways for all youth beyond high school.”

With the donation, this will help Café Momentum provide more services including case management, education, mental health and workforce development. Congrats to all parties involved in this partnership.

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Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes living the high life in Hawaii for ‘Aloha Golf Classic’

Mahomes spoke about his “Aloha Golf Classic” plus his upcoming tilt with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in “The Match.” | from @TheJohnDillon

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Though Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is best known for his spectacular play on the gridiron, the offseason is his time for making big moves off the field for his 15 and the Mahomies Foundation.

A golf benefit was held this weekend on the Big Island in the Aloha State to benefit the quarterback’s charity, and when NFL media caught up with him at the event, Mahomes seemed to be having the time of his life.

“[I’m] out here with the 15 and Mahomies Foundation on the beautiful big island of Hawaii trying to raise a ton of money and have a lot of fun playing some golf,” Mahomes told longtime NFL reporter Steve Wyche.

 

Asked about the tournament taking place, Mahomes made it clear that the timing for the event was perfect to prepare him for his upcoming golf festivities. His highly-anticipated doubles matchup with Travis Kelce against Golden State Warriors legends Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in TNT’s “The Match” is coming next weekend.

“I wanted to make sure I had a tournament-type atmosphere, and it is kind of the tournament before ‘The Match,'” Mahomes explained. “I’m going to go win this one first, then I’m going to go beat Steph [Curry] and Klay [Thompson] with Travis Kelce.”

When Wyche prodded the reigning MVP for his analysis on who the weak link might be on both teams, he stood behind his Chiefs teammate and took a jab at one of the NBA’s all-time best scorers.

“It’s not my guy,” Mahomes said. “Sorry, Klay [Thompson], I think it’s you. It’s nothing personal, but I think Travis [Kelce] is ready to roll.”

Fans will have to stay tuned to see if Mahomes’ confidence in Kelce was well-placed.

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Several Chiefs set to play in Big Slick KC charity softball game

Three current Chiefs players and one former are set to participate in the “Big Slick KC” festivities this June.

Eric Stonestreet, Paul Rudd, Jason Sudeikis, Heidi Gardner, Rob Riggle, and David Koechner are putting on for their city once again with Big Slick Kansas City. They boast their deepest roster of celebrity talent yet in 2023 and will host festivities throughout the weekend benefiting Children’s Mercy Hospital. Last year, they crushed their goal, raising over $3.5 million for their Department of Oncology.

This time around they hope to match or exceed that number and they’ve enlisted the help of some Super Bowl champions to the lineup for their charity softball game at Kauffman Stadium on Friday, June 2. On Friday, Big Slick announced that Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Creed Humphrey will all participate in the charity softball match, along with former Chiefs P Dustin Colquitt.

Kelce and Mahomes have both attended Big Slick before. Mahomes even managed to get himself a home run in front of the crowd at Kauffman Stadium.

Fans who are interested in attending the softball game can get themselves a doubleheader. All you need to do is purchase tickets to the Royals/Rockies game on June 2. Gates are set to open at 4:30 p.m. CT, with the celebrity softball starting at 5:00 p.m CT. It will lead directly into the Royals/Rockies game at 7:20 p.m. CT.

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Russell Wilson responds to story on his foundation’s charitable giving

Russell Wilson says many of the organizations his foundation works with donate directly to causes. “We don’t need the credit.”

Last week, USA TODAY published a story on quarterback Russell Wilson’s Why Not You Foundation. In the story, The Arizona Republic‘s Jason Wolf detailed how Wilson’s 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization donated just 24.3 cents of every dollar it raised on charitable activities from 2020-2021.

Wolf went on to write that “nearly twice as much, $1.1 million,” went toward salaries and employee benefits at the foundation. One of the foundation’s executives earns $200,000 a year, and he has also worked for Wilson’s business ventures.

The story created a buzz well beyond Broncos Country. The foundation responded with a lengthy statement on Instagram, and the foundation’s director explained in an interview with KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis that they work with various organizations who donate directly to causes, and that money does not show up on the Why Not You Foundation‘s tax records.

Also of note in Klis’ story:

The report also questioned the salaries of Why Not You executives and the improper classification of its staff. [The director] did acknowledge the WNY foundation would take steps to be in compliance with industry rules.

Wilson echoed the explanation of direct donations in an Instagram reel on Saturday.

“Often times, funds that WNYF raises with our partners are donated from those partners DIRECTLY to people and orgs with immediate needs,” Wilson wrote on his Instagram page. “We put in the work and we don’t need the credit. Teamwork and making a difference will always come first. As we continue to grow, we will always care more about impact than credit.”

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Wilson won the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award in 2020 in recognition of his charity work in the community.

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