community tuesday - a day devoted to volunteering

Community tuesdaY - a day devoted to volunteering
Tuesday is the only day of the week the players have off during the football season. But it’s not
a day of rest and relaxation for many Minnesota Vikings. Instead, it’s the day Vikings players
volunteer by participating in the team’s Community Tuesday program.
Throughout the season, each player volunteers in numerous ways and at countless events to make
a difference in the lives of others. During 2007 every player on the Vikings roster participated in a
community event.
Vikings veteran players Bobby Wade, Kenechi Udeze and Tony Richardson introduced rookies
Marcus McCauley and Sidney Rice to Vikings “Community Tuesday” presented by Qwest at
Bancroft Elementary School during a special assembly and reading session that also launched
Qwest’s “Readers for Life” initiative.
“Qwest’s partnership with the Vikings on
Community Tuesdays is helping to build
stronger communities across the state. We are
proud of the work we accomplished together to
build awareness for online safety, literacy and
blood donation.”
– Karen Jothen
Qwest Community Affairs Manager
After the school assembly, the players
visited classrooms and read books to the
students. Wade and Rice teamed up in one
classroom, Udeze and McCauley were in
another and Richardson and Vikings mascot
Viktor the Viking were in a third classroom.
Qwest is the official sponsor of the Minnesota Vikings Community Tuesdays.
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st. joseph’s home
for children
Vikings quarterback Tarvaris
Jackson, along with teammates
Aundrae Allison, Charles
Gordon, Spencer Johnson, Chris
Kluwe, Mewelde Moore, Adrian
Peterson and Fahu Tahi, visited
Catholic Charities’ St. Joseph’s
Home for Children to put on a
Football and Life Clinic.
The event’s focus on activity
meshed perfectly with the Vikings
commitment to health and
fitness and the team’s support
of Nickelodeon’s “World Wide
Day of Play” which took place on
Saturday, September 29.
The “World Wide Day of Play”
promoted NFL Play 60: The
NFL Movement for an Active
Generation, aimed at getting
children active for at least 60
minutes a day.
Tarvaris Jackson
Adrian Peterson
e.j. Henderson’s gamespeed football academy
Through his “Kicks for Kids” program, E.J. Henderson donated new tennis shoes (kicks) to each
youth football player in the Minneapolis Police Activities League (PAL). Minneapolis Mayor R.T.
Rybak supported E.J. at the giveaway. Henderson has made a commitment to the community
through establishing his Foundation and the GameSpeed Football Academy to provide programs
and services that address the academic and fitness disparities facing area youth.
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adoption family fun fest
The Brzezinski and Spielman families were
joined by Vikings players and cheerleaders to
host a family fun fest at Winter Park to benefit
adoption.
Brian Daniels, Chase Johnson, Sidney Rice
and Dwight Smith, along with the Minnesota
Vikings Cheerleaders, joined families and
children inside the Winter Park field house for
fun and games, raising more than $7,500 to
benefit Children’s Home Society and Family
Services.
The Brzezinski family
I
“ love coming out here and
playing with the kids. And
it’s great to support Rob and
Rick, and their families, in
their efforts with adoption.”
– Sidney Rice
The Spielman family
ronald mcdonald house - $50,000 donation
Artis Hicks
Dru Childress, wife of Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress, along with Mike
Doss, Jeff Dugan, Artis Hicks, Mewelde Moore and Martin Nance, visited
the Ronald McDonald House in Minneapolis to greet families and tour the
newly remodeled guest rooms made possible by a $50,000 grant from the
Vikings Children’s Fund.
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qwest - memorial blood centers
Chad and Jenni Greenway, along with Brooks Bollinger, Joel Filani, Eric Frampton, Cullen Loeffler,
Garrett Mills, Fahu Tahi, Chris Kluwe and Vikings Cheerleaders, hosted the Vikings annual blood drive
benefiting Memorial Blood Centers at Qwest Communications Minnesota Headquarters. More than 100 units of
blood were donated by generous Qwest employees.
African american
adoption agency
Adrian Peterson, along with
teammates Aundrae Allison,
Marcus McCauley, Bryant
McKinnie and Tank Williams, joined
families for the African American
Adoption Agency annual Holiday Party
at “The Park” in the Mall of America.
The players, along with Viktor the
Viking and Vikings Cheerleaders,
enjoyed rides and participated in
interactive games with the youngsters.
Bryant McKinnie
Adrian Peterson
united way - hometown huddle
Matt Birk
As part of the NFL/United Way “Hometown Huddle,” Vikings United Way spokesman Matt Birk,
along with Ryan Cook, Mike Doss, Jeff Dugan, E.J. Henderson, Kelly Holcomb, Cullen Loeffler
and Tony Richardson, hosted a clothing and household goods drive at Winter Park to benefit the
United Way funded Arc Greater Twin Cities.
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Dick’s sporting goods “shop with a viking”
During the holiday season a large group of Vikings,
along with their wives, helped 35 youngsters from
the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities spend $100
gift cards courtesy of Dick’s Sporting Goods. The gift
cards were matched by the Minnesota Vikings for a
total of $200.
Ben and Abby Leber were the lead organizers and
they were joined by Mike Doss, Chad and Jenni
Greenway, Kelly and Lorie Holcomb, Mewelde
Moore, Artis Hicks, Brian Daniels and Minnesota
Vikings Cheerleaders.
Ben and Abby Leber
At the conclusion of
shopping with the
players, the kids
enjoyed a pizza party
provided by Papa
John’s in the store.
Jenni and Chad Greenway
Mewelde Moore
B
“ eing involved in the communities in which we
do business and especially with the kids in those
communities is a fundamental part of who we are
as a company. Through our partnership with the
Minnesota Vikings, we are proud to once again host
this great community event.”
– Jeffrey R. Hennion
Dick’s Sporting Goods Senior Vice President
and Chief Marketing Officer
tarvaris jackson - nfl take a
player to school day
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson
visited Greenleaf Elementary School in Apple Valley
as part of the “NFL Take a Player to School Day”
presented by JCPenney. Greenleaf second-grade
student Joseph Fohr was this year’s winner and
Jackson accompanied him to school for the day
complete with a limo ride from his home.
Tarvaris Jackson
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Minnesota Veterans Home - minneapolis
To honor those who
proudly served our
country, Chris Kluwe
and Cullen Loeffler
visited the residents at
the Minnesota Veterans
Home-Minneapolis and
enjoyed several spirited
games of bingo.
Chris Kluwe and Cullen Loeffler
african american read-in
Erasmus James, along with NFL Hall of Famer
and Minnesota State Supreme Court Justice
Alan Page (pictured with Dr. Neville Alexander),
were recognized at the University of Minnesota
for their community service and promotion of
reading in the African American community.
Erasmus James
Tony Richardson
The dictionary project
Tony Richardson visited the American Indian/World Cultures Magnet School as part of his “Dictionary
Project” program. Richardson donated a dictionary to every third-grade student in Minneapolis
and St. Paul public schools ­— roughly 6,000 in total. In 2008, Minnesota Vikings Vice President of
Operations/Legal Counsel Kevin Warren will sponsor and expand The Dictionary Project.
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st. paul public library youth volunteer service awards
At the St. Paul Public Library Youth Volunteer Service Awards, Vikings linebacker Dontarrious Thomas,
along with St. Paul City Council President Kathy Lantry, Mayor Chris Coleman’s Chief of Staff Sara
Grewing and former Minnesota Wild player Brad Bombardier, recognized youth volunteers who had logged
thousands of hours at local libraries.
Qwest is the official sponsor
of the Minnesota Vikings
Community Tuesdays.
qwest/minnesota d.a.r.e.
Mike Doss hosted an
assembly at Edinbrook
Elementary School in Brooklyn
Park to announce the winner
of his D.A.R.E. “Teamwork”
themed art contest and
explained to the students the
importance of working hard in
school and pursuing dreams.
Mike
Doss
Tony
Richardson
Tony
Richardson
Karen Jothen, Qwest Community Affairs
Manager, taught computer online safety and
donated Vikings tickets and t-shirts to the upperlevel students at Edinbrook for demonstrating
leadership. Qwest’s generosity was part of their
Vikings “Community Tuesday” sponsorship.
D.A.R.E student Emily Magner’s winning artwork.
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steve and Landyn hutchinson host thanksgiving meal
For the second consecutive year, Pro Bowl offensive
lineman Steve Hutchinson and his wife Landyn made
Thanksgiving a little more enjoyable for children
facing life challenges by hosting an early Thanksgiving
meal. In 2007, the event took place at the University of
Minnesota Children’s Hospital, Fairview.
Fedex ground
player of the week
Steve Hutchinson
Lift up america
Cullen Loeffler and Chris Kluwe
Adrian Peterson presented Tim Knaeble of the
University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital,
Fairview, with a check. Through being named
the NFL FedEx Ground Player of the Week
for his efforts in the Chicago and San Diego
games, FedEx awarded $10,000 ($5,000 x 2) to
the hospital in Adrian’s name. Chester Taylor
was also honored by FedEx for his outstanding
performance in the Oakland game.
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Vikings “Lift Up America” team spokesman
Chris Kluwe, along with teammate Cullen
Loeffler, offered encouragement to local
underprivileged children as they had their
eyes checked and were fitted for free glasses
courtesy of LensCrafters through their “Give
the Gift of Sight” program. Both Kluwe and
Loeffler wear glasses.
north community ymca - $20,000 fitness zone
Viktor the Viking turned over 20 bicycles used by Vikings players during Alltel Minnesota Vikings Training
Camp to the North Community YMCA of Minneapolis. The bikes were used for the North Community YMCA’s
cutting-edge youth triathlon training program. To further support the North Community YMCA and help
promote the new NFL Play 60 program, Antoine Winfield and Ronyell Whitaker rode stationary bikes
with members of the YMCA’s Youth Triathlon Team. Winfield and Whitaker also presented a check for $20,000
toward a new Vikings-themed Fitness Zone in the facility.
the salvation army
safe & sober campaign
Coach Karl Dunbar, along with Conrad Bolston,
Captain Rich Murry of the Blue Earth County Sheriff’s
Office, along with Coach Childress, moderated
a press conference during training camp to create
awareness for the 2007 Safe & Sober campaign.
Mike Doss, Fred Evans, Derek Mason, Jayme
Mitchell and Dwight Smith, held a pep fest to kick
off The Salvation Army’s “Kettle Campaign” at the
Harbor Light Center.
tony richardson to the extreme
Tony Richardson visited the construction site of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, as the
popular television program lended a helping hand to the Swenson-Lee family of Minnetonka.
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parade stadium after vikings/
nfl $200,000 synthetic turf gift
Our youth football mission statement is to grow,
support and promote youth football through fair play,
health/wellness and academics. Please enjoy the
following three pages as we demonstrate how we have
done that.
The impact of the Vikings commitment to youth football
can be seen at Parade Stadium after our $200,000
donation toward the installation of synthetic turf with a
window to the gorgeous Minneapolis skyline.
In 2007, the Vikings hosted “NFL Unplugged” at Parade
Stadium for more than 100 youth football players
through the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.
USA Football Youth
Coaching School
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For the fourth consecutive year the Vikings hosted
NFL Junior Player Development Camps (JPD).
More than 400 kids attended the FREE JPD Camps
at three different sites coordinated by Vikings Pro
Scout Jeff Robinson. JPD Camps are designed for
kids 12-14 years of age to use Riddell equipment
and learn the fundamentals of tackle football.
In April, more than 100 youth coaches enjoyed a day at
Winter Park learning coaching technique from top area
coaches, along with Vikings Pro Scout Jeff Robinson.
Vikings/USA Football Youth
Football Day
vikings team with mn high school
football coaches association
(MHSFCA)
More than 150 youngsters were introduced to the
game of football on the same field the Vikings
practice on. As part of the program, Matt Birk
and Brooks Bollinger donated $3,000 worth
of new football equipment to USA Football to be
distributed to needy youth in Minneapolis and St.
Paul. Also, each participant received two tickets to
a Vikings preseason game.
In 2007, the Vikings continued to grow their
relationship with the MHSFCA by sponsoring youth
football camps in Greater Minnesota. Locations have
included Browerville, Lake Park-Audubon, Benson
and Upsala-Swanville. Plans to expand the program
in 2008 are in the works.