Tuesday, September 11, 2007: The Home Depot and the NFL Announce Neighborhood MVP Program to Honor Players Who Give Back to Their Communities
17 NFL Players Selected As Recipients of Inaugural Award for Charitable Contributions
ATLANTA, Sept. 12 /CNW/ -- The Home Depot(R), the world's largest home
improvement retailer and 'official home improvement sponsor' of the National
Football League(R), today announced The Home Depot NFL(R) Neighborhood MVP, a
national program that recognizes players who are making a positive impact in
their local communities through charitable programs and contributions.
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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!(R), 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(R) 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(R); Daryn
Colledge, Green Bay Packers(R); Lee Evans, Buffalo Bills(R); Gary Brackett,
Indianapolis Colts(R); Hines Ward, Pittsburgh Steelers(R); John Lynch, Denver
Broncos(R); Marcus Trufant, Seattle Seahawks(R); Isaac Bruce, St. Louis
Rams(R); Warrick Dunn, Atlanta Falcons(R); Antwaan Randle El, Washington
Redskins(R); Kevin Mawae, Tennessee Titans(R); Rashean Mathis, Jacksonville
Jaguars(R); Kassim Osgood, San Diego Chargers(R); Roy Williams, Dallas
Cowboys(R); Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals(R); Nnamdi Asomugha, Oakland
Raiders(R); and Jason Taylor, Miami Dolphins(R).
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(R) 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(R) 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.
Source: CNW
