Super Bowl - A Charity Roundup

What were you doing during the Super Bowl this year? Perhaps you burned your finger while pealing out the frozen pizzas from your oven, or maybe you were dressed up in your team’s gear drinking a Bud light waiting for the show to start.

Actually, you may have been in traffic with a platter of seven layer bean dip on your lap waiting to be consumed by a bunch of beer guzzlers who only wanted to see their favorite team win one of their most anticipated days of the year. There are other important moments in life while as a country we share the similar interests during one of the nation’s most celebrated sports moments other than hot dogs, chips, dip, sports clad, and performer of the halftime show. Herein we want to celebrate four “do good moments” of Super Bowl LII. These moments need no trophy or victory, other than a smile and a nod at recognition that as a nation we should be doing these sorts of acts daily.

1. The Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee
The Legacy Fund and Target awarded $300,000 to People’s Center Clinics and Services, a nationally recognized network of community health clinics. The grant, provided by Target, transformed a gymnasium into a Wellness Hub. This grant is a part of the Super Bowl Legacy Program, which is made possible each year by a $ 1 million contribution courtesy of the NFL Foundation and is complimented by the Super Bowl Committee. Through 52 weeks of giving, the campaign awarded 52 communities with grants that will help improve the health and wellness of young people in Minnesota.

2. Element Electronics & Gillette Children’s Hospital
CEO of Minnesota based Element Electronics, Mike O’Shaughnessy made this year’s Super Bowl extra special for a Philadelphia Eagles fan as he gifted his two premium seats to the 14 year-old kid who was diagnosed with traumatic brain injury when he was just ten months old. Element Electronics partnered up with Gillette Children’s Hospital for a social media contest where patients participated in a day-long contest on Facebook by posting a photo or video of themselves being bold on Gillette’s Facebook page. To be eligible, contestants had to be an active Gillette patient who has received at least one treatment or checkup at Gillette within the past year and following the contest, Gillette selected a winner at random. The winner of the contest was Gage, a lifelong Gillette patient. When announced his mother exclaimed, “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe Gage won! He is so excited. It is a dream come true for him,” said his mother Penny Robinson. “Gage has been a lifelong football fan. It is so cool that it’s in our hometown, Minnesota.” Element and Gillette both maintain campuses in the Twin Cities and are committed to giving back. “With the excitement of the Big Game as a backdrop one might forget that there are many not able to fully participate in the fun,” said Mike O’Shaughnessy. “It is an honor to make this happen for one amazing person and their guest.”

3. The New England Charitable Foundation
Robert Kraft, Chairman and CEO of the New England Patriots, recorded a brief video for guests at St. Francis House. “There are moments in time when being homeless, an experience which excludes one from fully participating in the events of life, are particularly poignant,” said Karen LaFrazia, President and CEO of St. Francis House. "Simply by virtue of being without a home, one has no opportunity to be part of the events that people who have a home are busy celebrating. When you are homeless you are often on the outside looking in. But not this past Sunday. The Saint Francis House fed more than 350 of Boston’s poor and homeless guests celebrated the Super Bowl by from charitable donations made by Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots. Over 900 chicken wings, 450 bratwurst sausages, 35 gallons of chili, 50 gallons of fruit punch, and 800 cookies were prepared for the homeless tailgate menu by the St Francis House kitchen staff.

4. Beer Commercials offer Charitable Efforts
One of the biggest draws to Super Bowl is watching the commercials, Stella Artois was advocating giving back. The Beer brand ran a commercial featuring Matt Damon recommending people to purchase limited-edition chalices to give years of clean water to those in evolving countries through a partnership with Water.org, which supports safe water and sanitation. The Super Bowl commercial promoted that the Limited-Edition Stella Artois Chalice helps provide 5 years of clean water to someone in the developing world. This year’s collection features hand-crafted designs inspired by Mexico, India and the Philippines, created by female artists from each of these countries, $3.13 helps provide 5 years of clean water for 1 person in the developing world. Stella Artois will donate $3.13 to Water.org for every Limited-Edition Stella Artois Chalice sold in the U.S. between 1/1/18 and 12/31/18, up to 300,000 chalices.