Washington's Charles Leno Jr. Named Week 17 NFLPA Community MVP

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Brandon Parker, Senior Communications Manager
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 WASHINGTON, D.C. – During the month of December, in between the demands of his day job helping anchor the Washington Commanders offensive line, Charles Leno Jr. takes on another important role – Leno Claus. For 25 straight days, Leno gave back in some way to an array of families, schools, patients and charities, resulting in more than $95,000 in donations and his selection as the Week 17 NFLPA Community MVP.

“Being honored for the third year in a row as a NFLPA Community MVP is an honor for my wife and I,” said Leno, who also earned this award in 2021 and 2020. “In life, I believe that you are not defined by what you accomplish but by the impact that you make on others’ lives.

“By receiving this honor and award, it allows for my organization to continue to grow and expand our reach within the community,” the eight-year veteran continued. “One day, this game of football will be over, but the impact that we can make on people’s lives will last forever.”

Motivated by this perspective, Leno hosted his biggest Leno Claus initiative from December 1-25 as he impacted hundreds of people in need throughout the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and the Bay Area in California. Here’s a rundown of how he and his wife, Jennifer, and their Beyond The Entertainer Foundation helped make the holidays special for others:

Dec. 1 – Provided a special experience for Jayden, who is staying at a local Ronald McDonald House (RMHC) while finishing his cancer treatment. Each member of his family received a jersey of Leno's and Jayden received a bag full of Commanders gear. Additionally, they received Commanders game tickets, field passes, and Jayden was able to get the kickoff tee off the field. The following week, Leno paid a visit to RMHC, where he played basketball with some of the kids and surprised them with $720 worth of gifts.

Dec. 2 – Gave funding to support filling holiday wreaths with gift cards during a local Christmas Without Cancer initiative. Each wreath had at least $500 worth of gift cards given to families affected by cancer.

Dec. 3 – Sponsored one apprenticeship for the upcoming spring through Legacy Farms, an organization that empowers neurodiverse individuals through garden-to-table apprenticeships.

Dec. 4 – Donated funding for five libraries throughout the Bay Area of in Oakland, California.

Dec. 5 – Cleared out two different wish lists to gift children in the hospital through Abby’s Army, which is dedicated to supporting families and children impacted by pediatric cancer.

Dec. 6 – Provided $3,000 worth of gift cards for grocery stores and transportation services for those who use Shelter House, which responds to homelessness in Fairfax County, Virginia. Leno also joined the staff for a chat about what they do and the organization’s vision.

Dec. 7 – Made a donation to Resolve, an organization that supports families on their journey to growing their family as well as those struggling with infertility.

Dec. 8 – Gave more than 8,000 diapers to the NOVA Diaper Bank to help families in Northern Virginia.

Dec. 9 – Hosted a pizza party for students with perfect attendance and gave a $500 holiday check to a teacher at Robert R. Gray Elementary School in Maryland. Leno also surprised a longtime first-grade teacher at Rose Hill Elementary School in Virginia with a $1,000 check.

Dec. 10 – Attended a local Saturday School tutoring session, where he served as the guest speaker. Afterward, he handed out goodie bags filled with a gift card and Commanders gear.

Dec. 11 – Supported a Christmas tree and décor giveaway through the Greg Najee Grimes 312 Foundation by adding a $100 Dave & Buster’s gift card for the 30 recipients.

Dec. 12 – Completed the wish list for Foster the Family DC’s holiday event helping those fostering or going through the adoption process. Leno also joined a group of families and children before their support group to answer questions, take pictures and talk football.

Dec. 13 – Made a monetary donation to The Moms Association of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to help support scholarships for students who may not meet the requirements for other educational funding.

Dec. 14 – Hosted a holiday party for two graduating classes at Peace For DC, which supports grassroots community efforts to reduce gun violence and treats association trauma. At the party, each graduate received a gift basket including candles, teas, gift cards, blankets and a year-long membership to Headspace.

Dec. 15 – Held another holiday party with board games, cupcakes, school supplies, and pictures with Santa in partnership with Bridge Reach Inc.

Dec. 16 – Teamed up with the Special Olympics to bring in five of its athletes to watch a Commanders practice, eat lunch at the facility and meet some of the players. Each athlete got to interview members of the Commanders staff for an editorial piece, and they also received a swag bag that had a Leno jersey and $100 gift card.

Dec. 17 – Surprised his high school football coach and a close friend who is a high school teacher in California each with a $1,000 holiday check.

Dec. 18 – Partnered with The Hogfarmers to bring a four-year-old girl with leukemia and her family of six to the Commanders-Giants game. He also gave the family a $1,000 grant and cleared out the children’s wish lists.

Dec. 19 – Sponsored a holiday essentials drive with Empowered Mums for a mobile home community, providing gloves, hats, toothbrushes, laundry detergent, dish soap, blankets, scarves, cleaning supplies, and toys for the children.

Dec. 20 – Hosted a women’s empowerment event including a wine and lunch pairing and provided a monetary donation to Rock Recovery.

Dec. 21 – Held a holiday party at Medium Rare restaurant that featured gifts and dinner for children through Bridges To Independence.

Dec. 22 – Pledged to donate 7,200 meals over the next three years to Feed The Fridge as part of Beyond The Entertainer’s Tackling World Hunger initiative.

Dec. 23-25: Adopted 14 local families in need who have been affected by disease and other hardships and provided gifts from their holiday wish lists.

In honor of Leno being named this week’s Community MVP, the NFLPA will make a $10,000 contribution to his charity or foundation of choice. Leno will also take part in a virtual or in-person visit to a school or children’s hospital. Along with the other 2022 Community MVPs, he will also 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.

2022 NFLPA Community MVP winners:
Week 1: Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns
Week 2: Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders
Week 3: Cody Davis, New England Patriots
Week 4: Darren Waller, Las Vegas Raiders
Week 5: John Metchie III, Houston Texans
Week 6: Justin Simmons, Denver Broncos
Week 7: Jason Cabinda, Detroit Lions
Week 8: Jaelan Phillips, Miami Dolphins
Week 9: Dalvin Tomlinson, Minnesota Vikings
Week 10: Kelvin Beachum, Arizona Cardinals
Week 11: Orlando Brown Jr., Kansas City Chiefs
Week 12: Jonathan Jones, New England Patriots
Week 13: Devin White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 14: Johnny Hekker, Carolina Panthers
Week 15: Jessie Bates III, Cincinnati Bengals
Week 16: De'Vondre Campbell, Green Bay Packers
Week 17: Charles Leno Jr., Washington Commanders

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About the NFL Players Association:

The National Football League Players Association is the union for professional football players in the National Football League. Established in 1956, the NFLPA has a long history of assuring proper recognition and representation of players’ interests. The NFLPA has shown that it will do whatever is necessary to assure that the rights of players are protected—including ceasing to be a union, if necessary, as it did in 1989. In 1993, the NFLPA again was officially recognized as the union representing the players and negotiated a landmark Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NFL. The current CBA will govern the sport through the 2030 season. Learn more at www.nflpa.com.

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.

2022 NFLPA Community MVP winners:
Week 1: Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns
Week 2: Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders
Week 3: Cody Davis, New England Patriots
Week 4: Darren Waller, Las Vegas Raiders
Week 5: John Metchie III, Houston Texans
Week 6: Justin Simmons, Denver Broncos
Week 7: Jason Cabinda, Detroit Lions
Week 8: Jaelan Phillips, Miami Dolphins
Week 9: Dalvin Tomlinson, Minnesota Vikings
Week 10: Kelvin Beachum, Arizona Cardinals
Week 11: Orlando Brown Jr., Kansas City Chiefs
Week 12: Jonathan Jones, New England Patriots
Week 13: Devin White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 14: Johnny Hekker, Carolina Panthers
Week 15: Jessie Bates III, Cincinnati Bengals
Week 16: De'Vondre Campbell, Green Bay Packers

###

About the NFL Players Association:
The National Football League Players Association is the union for professional football players in the National Football League. Established in 1956, the NFLPA has a long history of assuring proper recognition and representation of players’ interests. The NFLPA has shown that it will do whatever is necessary to assure that the rights of players are protected—including ceasing to be a union, if necessary, as it did in 1989. In 1993, the NFLPA again was officially recognized as the union representing the players and negotiated a landmark Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NFL. The current CBA will govern the sport through the 2030 season. Learn more at www.nflpa.com.