Earlier this year the NFL announced that each team would match player contributions up to $250,000 each year to help establish a fund to support community improvement, social justice and law enforcement relationships.
On Tuesday, the Chicago Bears became the first club to step up to collectively commit to donating $250,000 to social justice initiatives and they shared the announcement through its social justice committee which features Bears players Sam Acho, Trey Burton, Chase Daniel, Akiem Hicks and Mitchell Trubisky, as well as front office staff members, including Chairman George H. McCaskey.
Through the NFL’s new initiative, the Bears players and ownership will donate more than $500,000 to causes with ties to social justice and have an emphasis on education, community/police relations and criminal justice reform.
“It’s not only important that our money goes to these organizations, but that we get out there ourselves and put in the man hours to go meet these kids, and develop relationships between them, the police force and their community. If you give [kids] positive experiences, then later down the road they’ll have a better life, and that’s what it’s all about,” said Trubisky.
It looks like the Bears aren’t the only team committing to the new initiative as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers also have a plan in place.
The Bears might be the first team to commit but they certainly won’t be the last. It’s only a matter of time before the rest of the teams commit to the new initiative.
(H/T Twitter/ChicagoBears)
