Greg Jennings (August, 2010)
Greg Jennings, born September 31, 1983, is an All-Pro wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers. Greg and his wife Nicole have two young girls ages three and one. Drafted in the second round out of Western Michigan Univesrity in the 2006 draft, Greg was the first wide receiver in its school's history to be drafted into the NFL. Since arriving in Green Bay, he has been the starting wide receiver and has accumulated 4,000 yards receiving and 28 touchdowns. But as you will soon learn, the Packers aren't the only team that beneifts from his touchdowns and dedication.
In October of 2007, Greg and Nicole founded the Greg Jennings Foundation for underprivileged children and families. The Foundation is a private family foundation organized to make impactful grants in the Michigan and Wisconsin communities. These grants are designed to assist children, families, and individuals in obtaining their personal, professional, and financial goals. The Foundation's first program funded and rallied the community in Kalamazoo, MI to help provide a Thanksiving Day meal to the homeless and those less fortunate. From that program's success, the Foundation has become what it is today.
In addition to the Thanksigiving Day Drive, the Foundation produces and administers several other programs throughout the year. Two of the more recent programs administered were a financial basics program, designed to help those without the basic financial skills to succeed, and an Adopt a Family Program. Done in conjunction with the Salvation Army, the Adopt of Family Program matches impoverished families with sponsors to provide for their tangible Christmas needs. During the holiday season, Greg and his wife provided gifts and other necessities to over twenty families in the Kalamazoo area.
The Greg Jennings Foundation has identified Habitat for Humanity as one of the key recipients of financial support. During 2010, Greg set an ambitious goal of raising enough money to build a home in both the Milwaukee and Kalamazoo communities. To accomplish this goal, Greg held his third annual celebrity golf classic hoping to raise approximately $150,000 for this cause.
With support from his teammates and the community at large, the golf classic was a complete success. Consequently, the Greg Jennings Foundation is proud to announce that two additional homes will be built in the Milwaukee and Kalamazoo areas. The Greg Jennings Foundation has now built three homes for Habitat for Humanity.
The Greg Jennings Foundation is also proud to announce "Touchdowns for Hope." The Touchdowns for Hope program will donate $1,000 to the House of Hope for every touchdown that Greg scores during the 2010 season. Additionally, the Foundation is hosting a gala on September 7th, 2010, to raise money to help meet the House's operating budget shortfall. The House of Hope was selected to be a beneficiary of the Greg Jennings Foundation by Nicole Jennings, as throughout her childhood she witnessed first hand the difficulties faced by so many young women.
If you are interested in learning more about the Greg Jennings Foundation, to donate, or to attend his upcoming gala, please click here.
The Babac'Ards Foundation, founded by Boris Diaw of the Charlotte Bobcats, has a mission of improving the lives of Senegalese children. They are currently fundraising to open a women's training facility. Please click here for more information.
Every day, hundreds of athletes and organizations are showing a tremendous amount of generosity to their community. Here at SG, we can’t possibly know about everything taking place. Please, if you are or know of a professional athlete or organization that has used sport to make our world a better place, please click here to share your or their story.
Sporting Generosity would like to recognize Anquan Boldin, all-pro wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens for his outstanding achievements. Click here for more details.