Following a third consecutive nomination, the Denver Broncos were named the 2022 Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year, ESPN announced Tuesday.
"It's a tremendous accomplishment to just be recognized as a finalist and an incredible honor to be named the winner of ESPN's Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year Award," Broncos vice president of community development Allie Engelken said in a team press release. "This award is a culmination of adjusting to the immediate needs of our community while deepening our commitment to the long-term strategic programming we have in place. We were fortunate enough to accomplish some truly impactful feats during the 2020-21 seasons, and we hope to build on that for years to come."
The Broncos became just the second NFL team to win the award, following the San Francisco 49ers in 2017.
Denver, which is one of three organizations to be named a finalist three or more times, lost out to Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020 and the WNBA's Atlanta Dream in 2021.
The Broncos beat out the NBA's Miami Heat, NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins and WNBA's Seattle Storm for the award, which is presented each year to a sports franchise that "demonstrates how teamwork can create a measurable impact on a community or cause."
Among the notable endeavors that won them recognition, Broncos players volunteered more than 900 hours through 745 different engagements; the team contributed more than $275,000 for Inspire Change programs and initiatives; and the team is the only professional sports club to fully fund its own branch of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, according to the franchise.
