Daniel Snyder
I know, I know… it sounds really boring. This isn’t about the game!
But honestly, after watching Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder talking to reporters after the dedication of a football field in Washington, D.C., it occurred to me that Mr. Snyder and the Washington Redskins – as well as many NFL teams – actually do a lot for their communities every year. And a lot of it is unknown to a majority of people.
We fans rant and rave about the players, the scheme, the owner and the coach. It’s fun and it’s what fans do. But we should also acknowledge that these same players, owners and coaches are people and do partake in activities off the football field that, in the end, touch many, many people in a very positive way.
I believe some of the charitable giving that the Redskins have participated in is interesting in that so much of it is aimed at kids. To follow is a nutshell look at just a few of the causes that the Redskins have been involved with recently, according to redskins.com.
- Redskins Youth Fitness Zone – Redskins Charitable Foundation, NFL’s Play 60 Program & Boys & Girls Clubs of Loudoun County. The Redskins hosted an evening for kids to encourage nutrition, fitness and wellness and to combat obesity in boys & girls aged 6 – 15.
- Celebration of Arbor Day at the U.S. National Arboretum – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack joined Washington, D.C. school children and Redskins players to celebrate Arbor Day. The event supported the Child Nutrition Act by highlighting the importance of a healthy diet and active lifestyle by encouraging students to participate in First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” initiative, the National Milk Mustache “got milk?®” Campaign, and the Fuel Up to Play 60 program.
- Anti-steroid Education – The Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation was host to 125 area students for participation in an anti-steroid training session to combat the use of steroids and human growth hormone at the high school level. NFL ATLAS (Athletes Training and Learning to Avoid Steroids) and ATHENA (Athletes Targeting Healthy Exercise and Nutrition Alternatives) programs also supported the activity as well as the NFL Youth Football Fund and an Oregon Health & Science University grant.
- The Excel Institute and its students were invited to Redskins Park to enjoy an afternoon of watching the players during mini-camp and eating lunch. The Excel Institute was co-founded by Redskins alumnus George Starke to address the employment needs of individuals, youth and adults in high-risk situations and employers in the automotive industry in the Washington, D.C. area.
- Youth Sports and Life Skills Program, a component of the Pigskin Club of Washington, Inc. is supported by the Washington Redskins in various ways. This program includes activities such as sports clinics and life skill sessions taught in various venues and activities.
- Field Dedication Celebration held at the Edgewood Department of Parks & Recreation Center, Washington, D.C. – The Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation, Beacon House (neighborhood based org. that supports at-risk youth & families of the Edgewood Terrace community), LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation) and the NFL Youth Football Fund partnered to create the NFL Grassroots Program which refurbished the park. It resurfaced the field, restored bleachers and added an electronic scoreboard. This is only one of several fields in the area that the Redskins have restored and continue to maintain.
This list doesn’t come close to being complete in terms of the total amount of giving the Washington Redskins, as an organization, does. It doesn’t include any of the individual players’ own foundations and causes, like Chris Cooley’s “Rally for the Cure” event to battle breast cancer or London Fletcher’s “London’s Bridge”. It doesn’t even include events that take place different times in the year, for instance during Thanksgiving, when we see reports of the Redskins players and Dan Snyder helping to give away food for the holidays.
Yes, some might argue that Dan Snyder and the players have to do something with all that money so the IRS doesn’t take it all. But I really don’t think that this should be where the emphasis should be concentrated when viewing the amount of charitable giving that is going on with this organization.
This in no way means we should not continue to rant and rave, however.
Hail to the Redskins!