(East Los Angeles, CA) [From The Editor’s Desk]: My Cause, My Cleats for the Los Angeles Chargers takes place today as they host the Miami Dolphins in the country’s featured and always popular, Sunday Night Football game. Please give the Chargers press announcement a very good read for the manner in which they will acknowledge the recipients of this very worthwhile cause.
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Los Angeles Chargers Bring Awareness to Personal Causes This Weekend Through NFL’s My Cause, My Cleats Initiative
QB Justin Herbert, Walter Payton Man of the Year Nominees S/Derwin James Jr. and Salute to Service nominee DL/Morgan Fox headline Chargers players who’ve had custom cleats created ahead of today’s Sunday Night Football game Dec. 11th vs. Miami
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Los Angeles Chargers players will showcase the causes that are most important to them through the NFL’s My Cause, My Cleats initiative when they take the field on Sunday, December 11 to face the Miami Dolphins at SoFi Stadium.
Chargers players have been bringing awareness to various, local, national and international causes and charitable organizations since the inception of the My Cause, My Cleats NFL initiative in 2016. The player-led campaign shines a light on dozens of causes each year and brings them to the forefront of the NFL’s biggest day of the week – gameday. This year’s causes include topics such as tackling social injustice, military appreciation, addressing mental health, raising awareness for cancer research and education, among others.
Below is the list of participating players:
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Player/Primary Cause/Nonprofit
Zack Bailey
Military and Mental Health, Pat Tillman/Whiteflag
DeAndre Carter, Juvenile Diabetes, JDRF
Will Clapp
ALS, Team Gleason
Christian Covington
Pediatric Cancer, The Sunshine Kids
Morgan Fox
Military and Mental Health, The Headstrong Project
Alohi Gilman
Youth Education, Aha Punana Leo
Justin Herbert
Hunger Relief, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
Dustin Hopkins
Special Needs Families,The Well Foundation
Brenden Jaimes
Healthcare, Dialysis Clinic, Inc.
Derwin James Jr.
Hunger Relief, Safety Corner Foundation
Kenneth Murray Jr.
Military Appreciation, Special Operations Warrior Foundation
Storm Norton
Alzheimer’s Awareness, Alzheimer’s Association
Troy Reeder
Pediatric Cancer, Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation
Isaiah Spiller
Seat Belt Safety, Kailee Mills Foundation
Drue Tranquill
Child Homelessness, Foster The City
Derrek Tuszka
Social Justice, International Justice Mission
For the fifth-straight year, the Bolts have partnered with local artist Blake Barash at BStreetShoes to help create many of the custom-designed cleats featured on Sunday.
Following the game, players will auction their cleats on NFL Auction, where 100 percent of funds raised will be donated to their represented respective causes. Fans may bid on these cleats at NFL.com/Auction starting today.
Below, in their own words, are the reasons behind each of the Chargers My Cause, My Cleats selections:
Tackle/Zach Bailey – Pat Tillman / Whiteflag
“Mental health needs to have more attention. People that need help or are going through a tough time, should have a way to access help. Supporting our troops and fallen heroes that keep us safe.”
WR/DeAndre Carter – Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
“I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when I was 14 years old. I just want to let kids know that they can still accomplish all their dreams while managing diabetes.”
Guard/Will Clapp – Team Gleason
“Steve Gleason and the rest of Team Gleason are a true inspiration for the innovative work they do helping those with ALS.”
DL/Christian Covington – The Sunshine Kids
“I’ve been working with The Sunshine Kids since my freshman year at Rice University. The time, effort, and love shown towards the kids and families allows me to humble myself day in and day out knowing that life is so precious.”
DL/Morgan Fox – The Headstrong Project
“The Headstrong Project is committed to supporting veterans in that fight and helping them heal the wounds that are often unseen. Mental health is a battle that no one should have to fight alone.”
Safety/Alohi Gilman – Aha Punana Leo
“Emphasizing the importance of living Hawaiian language now and beyond is why I chose Aha Punana Leo. I chose this cause to highlight indigenous cultures specifically Hawaiian culture and the Hawaiian Language.”
QBJustin Herbert – Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
“I am super thankful for all of the work that they have put in together. They feed so many people and provide so many meals, all of the staff and workers. I have so much respect for what they are able to do. Being able to help out with that was a big cause for me.”
K/Dustin Hopkins – The Well Foundation
“The Well Foundation supports special needs families who are trying to navigate life in a world that doesn’t always understand people with developmental differences. They do this by sharing the hope and love we have in Jesus by trying to alleviate hardships in various ways.”
Guard/Brenden Jaimes – Dialysis Clinic, Inc.
“My mom has worked in the Dialysis Clinic for 15+ years and has done an amazing job handling everything thrown her way. Her passion is helping young children become healthy enough to go home and have a happy life. I chose this to bring awareness to this cause to people who may not know anything about dialysis and what it takes to make it happen every day.”
Safety/Derwin James Jr. – Safety Corner Foundation
“The goal of Safety Corner is to positively impact kids from all walks of life; they’re our future. I grew up going to the Boys and Girls Club – not because my parents weren’t there for me – but because it was a place that was welcoming and I liked the people I met there. Kids go to these clubs for all kinds of reasons, it’s not just kids from underserved communities either. Some need guidance. Some lack role models. And some really are in a tough spot. So for these cleats, I’m shining a light on those kids and, in particular, the ones who struggle to just find one square meal during the course of a normal day. There are so many issues that both the Boys and Girls Club and my organization with Jalen (Ramsey), Safety Corner, aim to assist kids with. For My Cause My Cleats, I wanted to address the issue of kids going hungry right in our own backyard.”
LB/Kenneth Murray Jr. – Special Operations Warrior Foundation
“I chose this organization because I would like to show support and help bring awareness to the wounded warriors and fallen warriors of our United States military who make sacrifices everyday so we can have the freedom we have today.”
Tackle/Storm Norton – Alzheimer’s Association
“I think it’s the second year in a row representing the End Alzheimer’s Organization. It kind of hits home for me. A few summers back, I lost my grandma to Alzheimer’s. I just feel it’s only right to kind of represent that in honor of her and all of those who have been affected, whether it’s directly through a family member or dealing with it themselves, to represent them as well. It’s a serious disease and it’s important to a lot of people.”
LB/Troy Reeder – Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation
“This year for my cause, my cleats I’m doing the B positive foundation which was started after a boy names Andrew McDonough. It’s an organization I’ve worked with for years now, since high school and all through college. Every year for my cause, my cleats, I have been able to represent them on the field in my four years. It’s awesome because it gives it national attention. It allows us to raise funds for a great cause and help a lot of families and children that are battling pediatric cancer.”
RB/Isaiah Spiller – Kailee Mills Foundation
“Kailee was a friend of mine in high school who passed away from a horrific car accident. It really impacted me because Kailee was a friend of mine, and her life could have been saved by just wearing a seat belt. Her family started this foundation after they looked further into the statistics behind how many unnecessary fatalities happen every year due to people not wearing seat belts. This foundation really hits home for me and my family.”
LB/Drue Tranquill – Foster The City
“My cause this year is Foster the City. As a dad of three kids, the importance of providing a loving, stable environment for my kids to grow up in is really, really important to me. In L.A. County alone, there are more kids in foster care than any other state in America. Foster the City is working to shrink the margin between families that are willing to take in kids and the number of kids in foster care. I just love what they are doing to help put kids in a loving, stable environment where they can have a chance to be a kid and grow up.”
LB/Derrek Tuszka – International Justice Mission
“I chose International Justice Mission specifically because I experienced firsthand all of the lives that they touch and impact. They go above and beyond to rescue women and children from trafficking all over the world.”
