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Even in the offseason, there’s never much downtime for NFL teams like the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s also been a busy month and a half for star quarterback Patrick Mahomes — and that’s not considering football-related work or the recovery from his foot surgery.
Mahomes’ foundation — 15 and the Mahomies — has stepped up their game since the end of the NFL season. They donated 30,000 meals to an East Texas food bank, they’ve broken ground on a playground honoring Martin Luther King, Jr., and today, announced a partnership with the HBCU Legacy Bowl.
BREAKING NEWS: @PatrickMahomes & his @15andMahomies Foundation make multi-year commitment to the @HBCULegacyBowl.
— 15 and the Mahomies (@15andMahomies) March 25, 2021
“A leader on and off the field. Thank you Patrick for supporting Historically Black Colleges & Universities.” - Doug Williams, Super Bowl XXII MVP pic.twitter.com/fMtvOndEpF
The deal will help bring attention and funding to the annual, postseason all-star game for NFL-eligible HBCU student-athletes. 60 years after the franchise helped pioneer the recruitment of HBCU football players, their franchise quarterback is continuing the push for a bigger spotlight on these schools.
Mahomes diversifies his charitable portfolio though. Last week, he announced the launch of “The Museum of Mahomes” — a virtual art collection with revenue from sales helping different charities, including 15 and the Mahomies. He’s taking advantage of the newly-popular NFT market; an NFT is basically a virtual trading card.
From the #NFL to NFTs: superstar quarterback @PatrickMahomes is launching "The Museum of Mahomes" on March 17. Six art pieces are up for auction and part of the proceeds will go to his foundation called 15 and the Mahomies & the Boys & Girls Clubs in Missouri. pic.twitter.com/nCPI7J8woa
— The Exchange (@CNBCTheExchange) March 12, 2021
As I mentioned earlier, the foundation is also helping in an effort to renovate Kansas City’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Park. They’ve had their minds on the project since before the 2020 season — and just last week, they broke ground on the playground site.
The Groundbreaking Ceremony for the #15andtheMahomiesPlayground marked the beginning of the big transformation taking place at Martin Luther King, Jr. Square Park in KC.
— 15 and the Mahomies (@15andMahomies) March 16, 2021
Visit https://t.co/ot9Gc9u8fL to see how you can support this effort.
@PatrickMahomes @KCMOParks pic.twitter.com/CBo8Utyel4
The goal is to have a completely accessible playground and have artwork that educates park-goers on civil rights history.
While they aren’t directly involved in Arrowhead Stadium becoming a centralized location to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, 15 and the Mahomies’ donation and effort to make Arrowhead a voting site last November helped make the vaccination idea possible.
Mahomes’ willingness and effort to positively impact the Kansas City community continues to amaze. No one would bat an eye if Mahomes saved his charitable efforts for later in his career when he’s a more established player and part of the community, but the 25-year-old continues to find ways to make a difference.
Credit goes to him, but also to every person involved in the 15 and the Mahomies foundation. Together, their work has made a positive impact on a multitude of different people and communities.