DENVER’S BRANDON MCMANUS NAMED WEEK 15 NFLPA COMMUNITY MVP

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Brandon McManus has been named the Week 15 NFLPA Community MVP after he donated more than $50,000 of resources to support Denver families in need through his 25 Days of Giving campaign.

“I am humbled and honored to have been named the NFLPA Week 15 Community MVP,” McManus said. “My foundation, Project McManus, aims to provide at-risk and disadvantaged youth in Colorado with a platform for change.”

The Denver Broncos kicker went all out for his foundation’s inaugural 25 Days of Giving initiative, generating and distributing resources that positively impact several causes. Starting with December 1, each day has focused on a different area of need for families – Mondays support local animal shelters; Tuesdays are for holiday shopping sprees; Wednesdays provide rent and mortgage relief; Thursdays are for transportation support through gas gift card giveaways; Fridays are when four families have the opportunity to fill their grocery carts with as many supplies as possible in 15 minutes; Saturdays are for providing medically tailored meals to Coloradans living with severe illnesses; and Sundays feature a gameday experience for a group of kids.

Over the past week, the eight-year veteran, who was recently named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week, and his Project McManus foundation provided the following:

• $12,000 in rent and mortgage relief to two families in partnership with Family Tree Housing and Family Stabilization Services, who help identify individuals and families experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness
• $8,000 in gas cards with the help of Hands of The Carpenter, an organization that offers hope to single mothers striving towards economic self-sufficiency
• A grocery grab for four families in conjunction with the Denver Rescue Mission, which helps to restore the lives of people experiencing homelessness and addiction
• A $2,500 donation that provided a week’s worth of medically tailored, fresh meals to the clients of Project Angel Heart, with the goal of helping all Coloradans living with severe illness have access to nutritious food
• A unique gameday experience for 20 members of the Colorado Boys & Girls Club
• Another $2,500 donation to the Animal Rescue of the Rockies for veterinary expenses and adoption fees
• A holiday shopping spree for 16 families from the Family Tree GOALS (Generational Opportunity to Achieve Long-term Success) program, which serves families experiencing homelessness.

Since launching the Project McManus foundation in 2019, the Super Bowl champion has made a point to give back and improve his local team city through inclusivity, scholarship, resources and educational programming. McManus also earned NFLPA Community MVP honors in 2020, after he provided $15,000 to three Colorado restaurants that had been impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and another $15,000 to cover overdue rent or mortgage payments to single-parent households and those affected by domestic abuse.

McManus's other charitable outreach has included generating $50,000 for local non-profits through his Kickin’ It In The Kitchen fundraiser, providing families with a $500 gift card for a holiday shopping spree and donating 20,000 meals to the Food Bank of the Rockies as well as lunches for front-line health care workers in the UC Health system.

"My foundation and I pride ourselves on making an impact for those in need, especially during the holiday season," McManus said. "Our mission remains steadfast -- leave our communities in a better place then they were before."

In honor of McManus being named this week’s Community MVP, the NFLPA will make a $10,000 contribution to his charity or foundation of choice. Our supporting partner, Aldine Sports Association, will create customized T-shirts and hoodies featuring his unique Community MVP superhero illustration made by HEARTLENT Group. The apparel will be sold on ASA’s website during the season, with a portion of all proceeds going to McManus foundation or charity of choice.

McManus, along with the other 2021 Community MVPs, will become eligible for this year’s Alan Page Community Award, which is the highest honor that the NFLPA can bestow upon a player.

The Community MVP campaign is part of the NFLPA’s continued efforts to support the year-round, civic outreach and engagement of its player members. Please visit the NFLPA Community MVP website to learn more about the program.

2021 NFLPA Community MVP winners:
Week 1: Justin Reid, Houston Texans
Week 2: Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings
Week 3: Emmanuel Sanders, Buffalo Bills
Week 4: Arik Armstead, San Francisco 49ers
Week 5: Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Week 6: Von Miller, Denver Broncos
Week 7: Brett Hundley, Indianapolis Colts
Week 8: Chris Harris Jr., Los Angeles Chargers
Week 9: Zach Ertz, Arizona Cardinals
Week 10: James Smith-Williams, Washington Football Team
Week 11: Lawrence Guy, New England Patriots
Week 12: Darius Leonard, Indianapolis Colts
Week 13: Will Gholston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 14: Rodney McLeod, Philadelphia Eagles

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