ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Denver Broncos are ESPN's Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year.
The award is given to a sports franchise that "demonstrates how teamwork can create a measurable impact on a community or cause," the team said in a press release 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 the 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.
“We want to thank President and CEO Joe Ellis, players, staff, Denver Broncos Charities Board of Directors and community partners for their support and ability to adapt while still positively impacting our community. I also want to acknowledge the rest of the community development team—Patrick Smyth, Liz Jeralds, Bobby Mestas, Katie Shuster, and Maya Blacken—for their hard work and dedication to utilizing our platform as an agent for social change.”
This year, Broncos players and staff volunteered more than 900 hours through 745 engagements, according to the team. The organization is involved in many endeavors to better the community, from supporting 30 local nonprofits through its grant program to fully funding its own branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
The Broncos are one of two NFL teams to ever win the award, following the San Francisco 49ers win in 2017. The organization is also one of three to be named a finalist for the award three or more times.
Other finalists for the 2022 Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year Award include the NBA's Miami Heat, WNBA's Seattle Storm and NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins.
You can learn more about the Broncos' dedication to the community here.
