I received an e-mail from one of the good people at The Home Depot to inform me about a good program that they are doing with the NFL. They have chosen to recognize 17 players from different teams who are making a positive difference in their community. Then, beginning Thanksgiving Day, the fans will be able to vote for who they want to award with the "Home Depot NFL Neighborhood MVP of the Year." So why is this Dolphin news? Well, one of the 17 chosen is our very own Jason Taylor. I think we forget about just how great of a person he is off the field because of how great of a player he is on the field. So starting Thanksgiving Day, be sure to cast your vote for Jason.
You can read all about this program by clicking the "Read More" link, as I've copied the entire press release for your viewing pleasure.
17 NFL Players Selected As Recipients of Inaugural Award for Charitable Contributions
ATLANTA, Sept. 12, 2007 - The Home Depot®, the world's largest home improvement retailer and `official home improvement sponsor' of the National Football League®, today announced The Home Depot NFL® Neighborhood MVP, a national program that recognizes players who are making a positive impact in their local communities through charitable programs and contributions.
The Home Depot NFL Neighborhood MVP program will reward 17 players, one for each week of the regular season, with a football field refurbishment or a playground build in their local market and a donation to the charity of their choice. Each player will work with representatives from KaBOOM!®, a national nonprofit that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America, and volunteers from The Home Depot to complete the field refurbishment and playground projects.
At the end of the year, one player will be honored as The Home Depot NFL Neighborhood MVP of the Year. The MVP of the Year will receive a $25,000 donation to the charity of his choice and will be recognized during Super Bowl® XLII week. The MVP will be selected through a national consumer voting contest and by a Blue Ribbon Panel of judges; online fan voting and the Blue Ribbon Panel will each constitute 50 percent of the total vote. Fans can log on to www.homedepot.com/NFL and cast their votes for the most deserving player starting Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 22.
"The Home Depot and the NFL are two organizations that share a commitment to giving back to local communities," said Roger Adams, chief marketing officer and senior vice president of marketing for The Home Depot. "We couldn't think of a better way to honor these players' off-the-field efforts than to roll up our sleeves and work alongside them to refurbish football fields and build playgrounds across America."
The Home Depot NFL Neighborhood MVP program will recognize the following players during the 2007 season: Brian Dawkins, Philadelphia Eagles®; Daryn Colledge, Green Bay Packers®; Lee Evans, Buffalo Bills®; Gary Brackett, Indianapolis Colts®; Hines Ward, Pittsburgh Steelers®; John Lynch, Denver Broncos®; Marcus Trufant, Seattle Seahawks®; Isaac Bruce, St. Louis Rams®; Warrick Dunn, Atlanta Falcons®; Antwaan Randle El, Washington Redskins®; Kevin Mawae, Tennessee Titans®; Rashean Mathis, Jacksonville Jaguars®; Kassim Osgood, San Diego Chargers®; Roy Williams, Dallas Cowboys®; Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals®; Nnamdi Asomugha, Oakland Raiders®; and Jason Taylor, Miami Dolphins®.
The Home Depot and the NFL selected these players because of their dedication to community service, commitment to give time and money to local charities and desire to improve the lives of people less fortunate than themselves.
"From helping struggling single mothers purchase homes to supporting juvenile diabetes research to participating in reading programs for local youth, NFL players are making a tremendous impact on their local communities and fans," said Michael Haynes, NFL vice president of player and employee development. "These players embody the league's long-standing commitment to community service."
The first two field refurbishments took place yesterday at the Roxborough YMCA® in Philadelphia and at Green Bay West High School in Green Bay, Wisc. Locations of the remaining projects will be announced throughout the season.
Through this program, The Home Depot has teamed with United Way® to also recognize consumers who are making a positive impact in their local communities. Consumers can nominate themselves or a neighbor for a chance to be honored as the Consumer Neighborhood MVP at www.homedepot.com/NFL. Nominations will be accepted through Dec. 31, 2007. The Home Depot will also honor one of its store associates as the Associate Neighborhood MVP. Both MVPs will receive an all-expense paid trip to Super Bowl XLII.
The Home Depot became the `official home improvement sponsor' of the National Football League through a multi-year integrated marketing partnership in late 2006. Through this agreement, The Home Depot became the official postgame sponsor of NFL Network's eight regular season games, called "The Home Depot Postgame Show," which will begin on Thanksgiving night and run through the final week of the regular season. Also under the agreement, The Home Depot obtains rights to NFL Kickoff, NFL Playoffs, Super Bowl XLI, XLII, XLIII, the 2007, 2008 and 2009 Pro Bowls.