Broncos named finalist for Humanitarian Team of the Year

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Denver Broncos have been named a finalist for ESPN’s 2021 Sports Humanitarian of the Year award, it was announced on Thursday.

The Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year award is given to a sports franchise that demonstrates how teamwork can create a measurable impact on a community or cause. A finalist for the second consecutive year, the Broncos join the Atlanta Dream (WNBA), New York City Football Club (MLS) and Toronto Blue Jays (MLB) as nominees for the prestigious honor in 2021.

“The Broncos’ recognition as a finalist for ESPN’s Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year—for the second year in a row—speaks to the consistent and unparalleled commitment of our players, staff and partners to serving our community,” Broncos President and CEO Joe Ellis said. “During such a challenging and unprecedented year, we were inspired by the dedication of so many within our organization impacting the areas of COVID-19 relief, social justice, youth development and more.

“I want to specifically applaud the players and our community development staff—Allie Engelken, Liz Jeralds, Bobby Mestas and Katie Shuster—for adapting our outreach in a truly meaningful and thoughtful way. When it was needed most, our organization worked together and rose to the occasion by providing such remarkable support to our community.”

As a finalist, Denver Broncos Charities will receive a $25,000 grant to support continued humanitarian efforts and will be featured during an ABC special on Saturday, July 24. The Broncos are eligible to receive a $100,000 grant from ESPN if selected as the Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year winner.

The Broncos were selected as a finalist for ESPN’s Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year through a comprehensive review process that evaluated their community teamwork, strategy and data-driven outcomes of their philanthropic work and player initiatives.

In 2020—a year unlike any other—the Denver Broncos players and staff supported their community by:

• Volunteering more than 850 hours (including 230+ video/Zoom hours) through 744 different engagements
• Adding and expanding a series of social justice initiatives through the team’s Inspire Change program
• Contributing more than $1 million to COVID-19 relief efforts
• Being the only professional sports team to fully fund its own branch of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, giving 14,000+ under-resourced youth a home away from home since 2003
• Investing $300,000 in the Denver Broncos Boys & Girls Club’s renovations and reopening
• Supporting 35 local nonprofits via the club’s annual Community Grant Program
• Conducting the Staff Community Service Series, featuring in-person and remote monthly volunteer opportunities for Broncos staff and families

The Broncos community outreach consists of five focus areas: Youth Development, Quality of Life, Health & Wellness, Youth Football, Civic Engagement. The Broncos invest in long-term programming in those focus areas, while also adapting to the short-term needs of its community. On average, the Broncos annually give more than $1.5 million in the form of direct grants, programmatic offerings and events and in-kind support to the community.

For more information about the team’s community outreach, please visit https://www.denverbroncos.com/community/.