The NFL announced Friday that the 2020 NFL "Draft-A-Thon" will be hosted on the league's digital and social channels and will be featured across the live draft coverage on NFL Network, ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ABC on April 23-25.
People are able to donate at NFL.com/RELIEF starting Friday, and proceeds will help support six national nonprofit organizations and their respective COVID-19 relief efforts including: American Red Cross, CDC Foundation's All of Us: Combat Coronavirus Campaign, Feeding America, Meals on Wheels, Salvation Army and United Way.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told NFL Network's Rich Eisen, who will co-host the event along with Deion Sanders, that it was important to be able to turn an event like the draft into an opportunity to give back to the community.
"We know what is going on in our country," Goodell said on The Rich Eisen Show. "We're a part of those communities. We want to give back."
The league announced last month that the NFL family donated more than $35 million, including $3.4 million from the NFL Foundation as part of the COVID-19 relief efforts. To date more than $50 million has been donated.
"We hope to be able to do much better than that over the next few weeks and to be able to do something that is going to provide really needed resources for people on the front line and that have been impacted by this," Goodell said. "We think we can bring a lot of attention and a lot of thanks and gratitude to the people on the front line but also much needed resources."
Donations can be made at NFL.com/RELIEF starting today. There is also a text-to-donate option. In addition to raising funds, the Draft-A-Thon will pay tribute to healthcare workers, first responders, and others on the front lines of the battle with COVID-19.
At NFL.com/auction, fans can also support COVID-19 relief efforts by bidding on unique signed items and exclusive packages.
"What it's going to do is really give people a chance to participate and give back in their own way for whatever amount that they can to be able to contribute to relief efforts from some great organizations -- six national organizations -- that will be getting 100 percent of the funds," Goodell said. "That's real important for us to support the work that they're doing. And this is an opportunity for everyone to be able to enjoy and NFL event but also be able to make sure that it's going to a really great cause."
