Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is earning plenty of recognition for his play on the field this season. During the bye week, the NFLPA has chosen to recognize Mahomes for his work off the field.
Mahomes has been named the NFLPA’s Community MVP for Week 9 for his work that helped turn Arrowhead Stadium into a polling place on Election Day. The plan to turn Arrowhead Stadium into a polling place was almost stifled when local officials told the team they’d need to purchase voting machines. Chiefs team president Mark Donovan explained the situation on Election day:
“That process culminated in, not too long ago, the election board saying that, ‘Although it’s a great idea, there are just too many hurdles.’ We finally had to go to them and ask what it was going to take. That’s really what launched the idea of purchasing new machines. The Chiefs organization, the Hunt family, and Patrick Mahomes and his 15 and the Mahomies Foundation came together and said, ‘If that’s what it’s going to take, we’re committed to this point. Let’s go.’ A six-figure investment by us that not only will legitimately impact the community today but will impact this community for years and years to come – hopefully 10 years to come – where these machines will continue to be used. Then I’ll finally say, for anybody who has been here today, anybody who comes out today, if you experience voting at Arrowhead, I think they are going to want this to be a polling location for a long time to come.”
Mahomes and his foundation split the cost for those voting machines to ensure that this plan could come to fruition and that people could come out to Arrowhead Stadium to vote. Mahomes saw Arrowhead Stadium as a place where the community gathered and thought there would be no better place to encourage people to get out and vote.
“I think Arrowhead ended up being a great spot for people to kind of come together, come out and get your vote,” Mahomes told reporters following Election Day. “And being a great place where it seemed like everything went smoothly and was ran well. Super exciting and hoping that we can continue to do that…”
As an NFLPA community MVP, Mahomes will be eligible for the NFLPA’s Alan Page Community Award at the end of the season. As part of being named Community MVP for Week 9, the NFLPA will make a $10,000 contribution to the 15 and the Mahomies Foundation.
“I’m honored and humbled to be recognized by the NFLPA as a Community MVP,” Mahomes said in a press release. “Being an active community leader is something that I feel is important to bring positive change and make the world a better place.”
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