The Pro Player Foundation
Pro Player Foundation unites professional athletes to raise money and awareness through special projects to serve our communities.
Established in 2003, Pro Player Foundation works to address the needs of the underserved by creating campaigns, special events and projects.
We partner with professional athletes to build initiatives that focus on community needs to raise awareness and funding. We have created the Great Australian BBQ and Night Golf Tournament, Holiday Kicks for Kids, 12’s Day of XMAS, Flavors of the Gaslamp, Flavors of Austin, Flavors of New England, the PPF Project for MS, the Lights On Bowl, Lights on Comedy Jam, JBowl and A Pro Play MS Day. We have supported the Alpha Project for the Homeless, the National MS Society, el Fundacion de Esclerosis de Puerto Rico, the Illumination Foundation, Can Do MS, Multiple Sclerosis Association of America, the Jammer Family Foundation and San Pasqual Academy for Foster Children, Rady Children’s Hospital, the Salvation Army, Teen Adolescent Placement Services, American Cancer Society, Parent Project for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Research, LT’s Changing Lives Foundation, the Ecumenical Partnership for Housing, Dallas Children’s Medical Center and the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
With events on hold, our team recognized it was time to launch our Educate.Elevate.Collaborate. Initiative to increase MS outreach, awareness and engagement. Our social media campaign serves as the voice of the Initiative and we are blessed to use our platforms to connect with communities that may not be reached through traditional communication. We have developed and produced a Fotonovela in both English and Spanish, and a virtual live-streamed panel to round out the Initiative.
Pro Player Foundation is on the way to Minnesota this October for our fifth rEECh on the Road Collaborative Panel. Stay tuned for more information.
“It takes real planning to organize this level of chaos.”
- Mel Odom
Flavors of Austin
Flavors of Gaslamp
Flavors of New England
JBowl
A Pro Play MS Day 2023
rEECh on the Road Houston
A Pro Play MS Day 2022
EEC Collaborative Panel 2021
Pro Player Foundation Research and Support Fund
To date, we have hosted 19 Flavors events and are continuing to build them across the country. We believe fine food, football and philanthropy are a great recipe to shine a light on Multiple Sclerosis. We have recruited Hall of Fame players to our Flavors events and high profile Chefs to participate and create culinary specialties that attract attention to the cause. We are proud of the grassroots support we receive from our volunteers and athletes who make our Foundation possible.
Pro Player Research and Support Fund
Our friend Sarah Garcia is a recipient of our scholarship fund in partnership with the NMSS. We are so proud of her attitude, accomplishments and dedication to paying it forward. Here is an excerpt from her story, “March is National Multiple Sclerosis month and it also marks the eleventh year of my diagnosis. My MS journey started when I was thirteen years old and I lost sensation and had weakness on the left side of my body leading me not being able to walk. I relapsed again at eighteen years old before entering college with symptoms of vertigo and weakness. Going through these experiences makes me so grateful for the little things in my life. I’m so happy that I have the ability to walk, to see, and feel.”
Today, Sarah is a licensed Specialist in School Psychology at Austin ISD.
We are proud of The Pro Player Foundation Project for MS and our efforts to forward research and educational assistance.
Please consider making a donation to help us reach our goals.
MS Ambassador Tyler Campbell
When Tyler Campbell received his multiple sclerosis diagnosis after years of playing competitive football, he worried about being a supportive husband and father.
Our Pro Player Foundation Athlete Ambassadors believe in giving back and giving thanks. Lorenzo Neal states, “I am so grateful I had the opportunity to live my dream in the NFL and I want to share my experiences and knowledge to reach our children.” Our Athlete Ambassadors are coaches, mentors, speakers, camp counselors and are extremely active in their communities. We visit schools, children’s hospitals, shelters, ymca’s and boys and girls clubs. We contact newly diagnosed with messages of hope, advocate for our projects on social media and recruit our neighbors and friends to support our mission. We have a heart for the underdog and seek out causes that slip between the cracks. We wish to inspire, motivate and help people overcome obstacles. Our athletic spirit is what brings us together and it is our passion to serve to spread kindness and love.
“There is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer.” anonymous
We are so blessed to have a grassroots team of volunteers at Pro Player Foundation. We recognize, acknowledge and salute their commitment to Pro Player Foundation. It would be impossible to execute events without our volunteers who manage logistics, design decore, solicit auction items, recruit donors and so much more. Most importantly, they believe in our shared vision to do our part in response to the profound need we see in our communities. Our volunteers are the heart of Pro Player Foundation and words cannot express how much we value their time and dedication.