Tag: Charity

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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Broncos, NFL Foundation grant $250,000 to Pueblo school for turf field

“This new artificial turf field … aligns with the priorities set by our ownership to positively impact youth development.”

The Denver Broncos have granted the Havez Huerta K12 Preparatory Academy $250,000 to install artificial turf for their football field, the team announced Monday.

The donation is a part of $3 million in funding the league provides for field refurbishments through the NFL Foundation and LISC Grassroots program.

Broncos director of youth and high school football Bobby Mestas stated how grateful he is that the organization can impact the youth.

“We are continuously grateful for the support we receive from the NFL Foundation and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation with the opportunities they provide to install new synthetic sport fields for Colorado kids,” Mestas said.

“This new artificial turf field, which will support thousands of kids and multiple sports programs, will be a great addition to the Pueblo community and aligns with the priorities set by our ownership to positively impact youth development.”

This new field will serve the Pikes-Peak Park and Westgate-Hyde Park communities. Outside serving as the home for Havez Huerta Preparatory, it will host many other athletic activities and events.

Since 2000, this will be the ninth field Denver has installed in Colorado.

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Russell Wilson and Ciara donate $10,000 to Damar Hamlin’s toy drive

Russell Wilson and Ciara donated $10,000 to Damar Hamlin’s toy drive, and the QB’s foundation donated an additional $3,333.

Though he is on a different team and over 1,500 miles away, Denver Broncos’ quarterback Russell Wilson made a contribution to something that is bigger than football.

During the Monday night game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals, Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field after making a tackle. During this scary time, Hamlin received life-saving measures and is now in critical condition inside of UC Medical Center in Cincinnati.

Almost immediately, prayers, letters and well-wishes from across the nation flooded in to the injured Hamlin. Donations from several prominent NFL superstars made their way to Hamlin’s “The Chasing M’s Foundation Community Toy Drive” GoFundMe page.

Wilson and his wife Ciara personally donated $10,000 towards this charitable cause, which is just a fraction of the outpouring of support towards Hamlin. Additionally, the Wilsons donated $3,333 from their “Why Not You Foundation,” in honor of Hamlin’s No. 3 jersey.

Prayers and tributes continue to pour in from all 32 teams as they anxiously await an update on Hamlin’s condition.

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Andy and JJ Dalton donate to Damar Hamlin’s toy drive, share kind message

Andy and JJ Dalton made a kind donation to Damar Hamlin’s toy drive and shared a thoughtful message on their unique relationship with Bills fans:

The NFL world is paused in concern for Damar Hamlin, the 24-year old Buffalo Bills defensive back who went into cardiac arrest after a routine hit in Monday night’s game with the Cincinnati Bengals. Hamlin was transferred to University of Cincinnati Medical Center for treatment, surrounded by friends and family.

Millions of dollars have poured in for Hamlin’s charity of choice — a toy drive organized to support his mother’s daycare service. One of those donations came from New Orleans Saints quarterback Andy Dalton and his wife JJ, paying Buffalo back in kind.

Back in 2017, Dalton led the Bengals to a critical late-season win over the Baltimore Ravens which helped the Bills get into the playoffs through a domino effect. That ended Buffalo’s 17-year postseason drought, the longest in pro sports history at the time, and spurred Bills fans into donating more than $400,000 to the Daltons’ charity, much of which they gave back to a Buffalo children’s hospital.

Sportsbook Review’s Jon Metler spotted the Daltons’ kind gesture among the many donations pouring in for Hamlin. And as noted by the Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr., the Daltons shared a message on social media reflecting on their family’s unique relationship with Buffalo:

But the real story here is Hamlin, who is still in critical condition in the hospital’s intensive care unit. His family has said they’re grateful for the outpouring of support updates will be shared “as soon as we have them.” We’ll continue thinking of Hamlin and hoping for the best for him. You can keep up with the latest developments from coverage by our team over at Bills Wire.

Chiefs RB Ronald Jones donates funds for new playground at Morse Early Childhood Center

#Chiefs RB Ronald Jones hasn’t been in Kansas City for that long, but he’s already giving back to the community.

Ronald Jones hasn’t been part of the Kansas City community for long, but he and his foundation are making a big impact on a local public school.

Earlier this week, Jones and his foundation along with Patrick Mahomes’ 15 and the Mahomies foundation made an $80K donation to the Morse Early Childhood Center in Kansas City, Kansas. That donation will allow for the construction of a new playground for the kids next year, among other things.

“We were able to donate a check for a new playground for the kids going into next year,” Jones said. “It always warms my heart to be able to give back and bless others because God has blessed me with so much.”

“We came to K.C. and we leave the community better than how you found it,” Jones’ mother Jacque said.

Jones signed a one-year deal with the Chiefs back in March. He’s been active for just four games this season with five carries for 18 yards and one reception on one target for 22 yards. His impact off the field, however, is immeasurable in the hearts and minds of those at Morse Early Childhood Center.

You can find out more information about The Rojo Foundation here.

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