Chiefs TE Travis Kelce leads Walter Payton Man of the Year Charity Challenge vote after one week
After just one week, Travis Kelce currently leads the Walter Payton Man of the Year Charity Challenge. The winner will receiver $35,000 for the charity of their choice. Last week, the NFL has announced the players nominated by each of the 32 NFL teams for the 2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. This […]
After just one week, Travis Kelce currently leads the Walter Payton Man of the Year Charity Challenge.
The winner will receiver $35,000 for the charity of their choice.
Last week, the NFL has announced the players nominated by each of the 32 NFL teams for the 2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. This is one of the NFL's highest annual honors awarded by, signifying both on-field excellence and a player's commitment toward "creating a lasting positive impact beyond the game."
“The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award celebrates Walter’s enduring legacy of excellence on the field and compassion off it,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said via press release. “This award is the league’s most prestigious honor, and we are proud to recognize these 32 outstanding men for the positive impact they make in their communities every day.”
A Chiefs player has not won the award in nearly 15 years.
“I’m truly honored to be nominated as the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. This organization and this city mean so much to me and to have the Chiefs nominate me again is special,” Kelce said via press release. “Growing up in Cleveland Heights with supportive family and friends, I know the power of having people in your corner. It’s been incredible to be able to work towards providing that same support and inspiration to kids through Eighty-Seven & Running and our work with Operation Breakthrough and the Ignition Lab. To see the inaugural class from the Ignition Lab getting ready to graduate is so special and something that I’ll cherish forever. I know how valuable hope and purpose is in those high school years, and these kids have really seized the opportunity. Being able to give back to the community here in Kansas City as well as show love to my hometown is not something I’ll ever take for granted. I’m forever grateful to represent Kansas City, the Hunt family, our fans and my foundation, and it’s an honor to be nominated.”
Kelce has done a lot for the Kansas City community. He established his foundation, Eighty-Seven & Running, in 2015. Their mission is to provide opportunities and empower disadvantaged youth to aspire beyond their current situations. They give resources in both Kansas City and Cleveland Heights to help youth disperse their talent in the areas of education, business, athletics, STEM, and the arts.
“Over the past 12 years, Travis Kelce has grown into one of the most dynamic individuals in all of football, both on and off the field,” Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said via press release. “He’s a three-time Super Bowl Champion, a nine-time Pro Bowler and one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history. He’s also a tremendous leader, a role model for young people in Kansas City and an inspiration to football fans around the world. Through his new Ignition Lab, the growing Eighty-Seven & Running Foundation and his partnership with Operation Breakthrough, Travis has impacted the lives of thousands of young people in the Kansas City region and beyond. Very few athletes in the history of the game have balanced the same level of team success, individual accolades and community engagement. The Chiefs organization and the Kansas City community are proud to have Travis as the club’s nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.”
He has also partnered with Operation Breakthrough, an after-school program whose mission is to provide support, food security, and extracurricular opportunities to some of the most impoverished community members of Kansas City. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he helped them keep their doors open.
And then in 2020, Kelce purchased an abandoned muffler shop to turn it into what is now known as the "Ignition Lab." In partnership with Operation Breakthrough, Kelce has created an after-school program for inner-city kids to gain real-world, tangible experience and life skills in STEM fields. They've launched three separate entrepreneurial businesses, including a food truck, a hydroponic farm, and a digital media studio, which provide opportunities for students to discover their unique interests and further develop their skills. 700 students are now served daily at the "Ignition Lab"
All 32 nominees for Walter Payton Man of the Year will be recognized for their achievements during the week leading up to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. Each nominee will receive up to $55,000 for their charity of choice, and the award winner will receive up to a $265,000 donation to that charity.
All donations are made possible by the NFL Foundation and Nationwide Foundation.
