On Thursday morning the Kansas City Chiefs announced that tight end Travis Kelce was named the team's nominee for the prestigious Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide.
One of the NFL's highest individual honors, it recognizes an NFL player for outstanding community service activities off the field, as well as excellence on the field. Kelce is joined by 31 other candidates – one from each NFL team – who were also announced today.
For the third year in a row, all 32 team winners will be highlighted as finalists and recognized for their important work during the weekend leading up to Super Bowl LV. The 2020 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year will be announced during NFL Honors, a primetime awards special to air nationally the week of Super Bowl LV, on CBS.
All 32 nominees will receive a $40,000 donation in their name to their charity of choice. The winner of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award will receive a $250,000 donation to the charity of his choice. All donations are courtesy of the NFL Foundation and Nationwide. Along with the other 31 nominees, Kelce will wear a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year helmet decal through the end of the season in recognition of his accomplishments on and off the field.
Since arriving in Kansas City as a third-round draft pick in 2013, Kelce has focused on reaching youth in the communities that are near and dear to him. In 2015, he introduced his 87 & Running Foundation to empower disadvantaged youth to achieve success by providing resources and support to their communities and cultivate their talents in the areas of education, business, athletics, STEM and the arts. To date, Kelce, through the 87 & Running Foundation, has donated $750,000 for various charitable efforts, while another $250,000 is scheduled to be made before the end of this year.
In Kansas City, Kelce's focus has been fixated on Operation Breakthrough, which provides a safe, loving and educational environment for children in poverty and empowers their families through advocacy, emergency aid and education. After making numerous visits to Operation Breakthrough for events, fundraising opportunities and mentoring, Kelce's first major collaboration with the agency was the development of the 87 & Running Robotics Lab in 2018, which remains accessible to nearly 200 students from three elementary schools as well as 100 high school freshmen in the area.
This summer, Kelce announced his largest contribution yet to Operation Breakthrough, a massive $500,000 donation to purchase a building adjacent to the current facility, which will be transformed into the Ignition Lab: Powered by 87 & Running. At the time of the gift, Kelce noted his goal was to eliminate barriers that prevented teenagers from the urban core from exploring future careers in the STEM sectors. The Ignition Lab will help Operation Breakthrough serve youth up to the age of 18, after they would have traditionally aged out of Operation Breakthrough's services and resources past the age of 14.
Additionally, Kelce has made multiple other financial gifts in Kansas City and in Ohio, especially as the agencies he works with were hit hard by the current pandemic. He gave nearly $140,000 in donations to Operation Breakthrough in Kanas City and the Heights Foundation in Ohio to help both groups navigate the challenges created by COVID-19. The 87 & Running Foundation also hosts a signature annual fundraising event, the "Walk the Walk" fashion show, to raise money for charitable initiatives and causes in Kansas City and Cleveland. The brainchild of Kelce himself, the annual event combines his appreciation for fashion with his passion for giving back.