As the NFL's 100th season came to a close, Huddle for 100 culminated with various volunteer events that took place during the weeks leading up to Pro Bowl and Super Bowl. Throughout the week leading up to Pro Bowl, all NFL Pro Bowl players and Legend captains participated in the 2020 Pro Bowl Community Huddle. A total of seven Huddle events were held at the Wide World of Sports and other locations throughout Orlando.
One of the Huddles took place at the Pro Bowl Experience and was open to all fans. They were invited to volunteer alongside sixteen Pro Bowl players assembling care kits for multiple non-profit organizations in the area. Some of the care packages were created for families impacted by domestic violence and sexual assault survivors. Others targeted local youth in need, including food packages and kits containing school supplies. In total, more than 1,500 kits were assembled by a crew of over 1,000 fans and players.
Another exciting Huddle included twenty-one Pro Bowl players and more than ninety young volunteers who together helped bring needed upgrades to a local Boys and Girls Club facility. The team was invited to engage in activities focused on service-learning as part of the community-engagement buildout and helped freshen up some of the center’s shared public spaces. Players also had the chance to speak one-on-one with teens about preparing for their future, valuing their experiences, the importance of working hard, and the benefits that come from cooperation and teamwork.
The final large Huddle during Pro Bowl week offered improvement to a local Children’s Safety Village. Pro Bowl players, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Orlando Police Department, and children from the Police Athletic League joined forces to refurbish the firehouse, repaint cross walks, and assist with gardening and greenery efforts. Other efforts during Pro Bowl week supported TAPS, Wounded Warrior, and a local greening project.
Huddle for 100 events continued the following week leading up to Super Bowl LIV in Miami. The week kicked off with a live question-and-answer session with local middle-schoolers and a panel of NFL players and legends focused on the importance of giving back. Immediately following the panel, audience members joined the panelists in assembling care packages for the elderly and local youth.
The importance of making a contribution and getting involved carried over into subsequent events over the course of the week, with Huddles focused on beach cleanups, care-package assembly for survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence, community center clean-up and refurbishment efforts, and events highlighting the value of becoming a mentor to young people.
The Friday before Super Bowl LIV in Miami marked the final day for league-hosted Huddles. The day began with an all-in refurbishment of a local Boys and Girls Club. The event activities were lead by 32 of the Man of the Year nominees and attended by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
The week wrapped up with a Huddle highlighting the social justice impact of the NFL’s Inspire Change program. As part of the programming, junior high and high school students participated in a screening of “Just Mercy,” which was accompanied by a panel discussion with an NFL Network reporter, representatives from the movie, social justice change-makers, and an NFL Legend. The event wrapped with a volunteer activity where students assembled care packages for the formerly incarcerated.
Throughout these two weeks the NFL was able to support many important league causes, bringing together players, community partners, and fans to make a difference throughout the state. A number of these projects also left a lasting legacy that will continue to benefit local youth in the years ahead.
